Suicide rate in Korea rises, highest among developed countries. Here's why

The suicide rate in South Korea continues to rise, staying the highest among developed nations. As per a Bloomberg report, the suicide rate in Korea in 2021 increased from the previous year, which highlights the extended effects of the pandemic and lockdown period.

As per media reports, at least 13,000 people in South Korea ended their life last year, with a rate of 26 per 100,000. In 2020, the suicide rate in South Korea was 25.7, which was also the highest among developed countries. As per the new data, South Korea is followed by Lithuania (20.3), Slovenia (15.7), Japan (14.6), and the US (14.1). Turkey had the lowest suicide rate among developed nations, which was 4.4 deaths per 100,000.

As reported by Mint, experts suggest that suicide rates rise during economic downfall, though the timing of the two may not align. In the case of South Korea, the country witnessed the highest unemployment rate last year since 1999, though the economy rebounded following the initial pandemic shocks.




The report also suggested that concerns about economic downfall in South Korea and other developed countries continue to rise, which could further increase the burden on households and businesses. Apart from the looming economic crisis, reasons for the high suicide rate in South Korea are frequently attributed to academic pressure, work pressure, the stigma around mental health, and the absence of social welfare for the elderly.

Recent data also suggested that South Korea had the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.81, which further went down from the 0.85 that it recorded in the previous year. The fertility rate is far behind the global average of 1.6 children per woman. In 1970, Korean women averaged 4 children per woman, which continued to decline steadily, dropping to below 1 in 2018. The high suicide rates and low fertility rates in Asian powerhouses like Korea and Japan indicate social and health woes in developed economies.

FAQs

• What’s the suicide rate in South Korea?
South Korea recorded a suicide rate of 26 per 100,000 in 2021, up from 25.7 in 2020.

• Which country had the lowest suicide rate among developed countries?
Turkey had the lowest suicide rate among developed countries, 4.4 per 100,000.