Record 529 Elementary, Junior High, High School Students Commit Suicide

Jiji Press

17:07 JST, October 24, 2025

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The number of elementary, junior high and high school students in Japan who committed suicide in 2024 stood at 529, up by 16 from the preceding year and the highest since data became available in 1980, a government report showed Friday.

According to the 2025 white paper on suicide prevention adopted at a cabinet meeting the same day, overall suicides in the nation fell by 1,517 from 2023 to 20,320, the second lowest since statistics began in 1978. The report said that overdose cases, including those involving over-the-counter drugs, accounted for a large share of suicide attempts among young people. The government is rushing to take countermeasures, such as revising the pharmaceutical and medical device law to tighten regulations on purchases of cold and cough drugs by people aged under 18.

Suicides among elementary to high school students have been at their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 total comprised 15 elementary, 163 junior high and 351 high school students. The figure for junior high school students marked the highest on record. School-related issues were the most common factor for suicides among those aged 19 and younger, followed by health and family issues.

The suicide rate, or the number of deaths by suicide per population of 100,000, has remained high among people aged 10 to 29, and has been the highest among the Group of Seven nations, according to the report.