Cyprus Records Lowest Suicide Rate in the EU
23% Reduction in Suicide Rates Over the Last Decade, the Largest Drop Compared to the Eu’s 13% Decrease
In 2021, Cyprus recorded the lowest suicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the European Union, while also achieving a 23% reduction in suicides compared to 2011—a decrease significantly higher than the EU average of 13% over the same period, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.
Cyprus had the lowest ratio in the EU, with 2.7 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021, followed by Greece (4.2) and Italy (5.9). Slovenia registered the highest rate, with 19.8 suicides per 100,000 people, followed by Lithuania (19.5) and Hungary (15.7).
Over the past decade, Cyprus has seen a significant decline in its suicide rate, from 4.0 per 100,000 in 2011 to 2.7 in 2021. In contrast, the EU average fell from 12.4 per 100,000 in 2011 to 10.2 in 2021.
At the regional level (NUTS2), Limousin in France had the highest suicide rate, with 21.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, followed by Dél-Alföld in Hungary (21.7) and Vzhodna in Slovenia (21.6). On the other end of the spectrum, the regions with the lowest suicide rates were Northern Aegean in Greece (1.5), Mayotte in France (1.8), and Cyprus (2.7).
In total, 47,346 suicides were reported in the EU in 2021, accounting for 0.9% of all reported deaths that year. This translates to an average of 10.2 suicides per 100,000 people. In Cyprus, the number of suicides decreased from 30 in 2011 to 23 in 2021.
Compared to 2011, the first year for which data is available, the number of suicide deaths decreased by 13.3% across the EU (a reduction of 7,277 deaths), while in Cyprus, the decrease reached 23.3%.
As in previous years, the proportion of suicides was higher among men than women, with men accounting for 76.7% of suicides in the EU and 60.9% in Cyprus.
In the EU, the highest number of suicides occurred among those aged 45 to 64, with 17,441 deaths, representing 37% of the total. The 65 and older age group followed closely with 15,998 deaths, or 34% of the total. In Cyprus, the largest age group affected in 2021 was those aged 30 to 44 (4 deaths, or 29%), while the 45 to 64 and 65 and older groups each recorded 3 deaths (21%).
