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TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The number of people who killed themselves in Japan in 2023 decreased by 63 from the previous year to 21,818, marking its first decline in two years, preliminary government data showed Friday.
Of the total, men accounted for 14,854, up by 108, and women made up 6,964, down by 171, according to the health ministry data based on National Police Agency statistics.
The suicide rate, or the number of suicides per population of 100,000, came to 17.5.
By age group, people in their 50s made up the largest group of suicides at 4,186, up by 93. The second largest group were people in their 40s, at 3,624.
The number of suicides among students fell by 53 to 1,010. Students in elementary, junior high and high schools accounted for 507, down by seven.
Health problems were the top cause of suicides in 2023, with 12,336 people taking their lives for such reasons, down by 438. The number of suicides related to economic or livelihood problems came to 5,157, up by 460.
The number of suicides motivated by work-related problems came to 2,872, down by 96.
The suicide rate fell in 24 of the country’s 47 prefectures. Yamanashi marked the highest rate, at 26.8, followed by Wakayama, at 24.8, and Iwate at 22.4.
The rate was lowest in Tottori, at 13.2, followed by Tokushima, at 14.2, and Fukui, at 14.5.
