Cyprus records lowest suicide rate in the European Union in 2023

According to data released by Eurostat on Wednesday, Cyprus recorded the lowest suicide mortality rate in the European Union in 2023, with 3.5 deaths per 100,000 residents. Greece followed with 4.3 deaths, while Malta reported 5.5 deaths per 100,000. Conversely, the highest rates were observed in Lithuania at 18.8, Slovenia at 16.4, and Hungary at 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The EU-wide standardised suicide mortality rate stood at 10.4 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2023, reflecting a gradual decrease from 10.6 in 2022 and 12.2 in 2013. A total of 48,370 residents died from intentional self-harm across the bloc, accounting for 1% of all deaths. The figures reveal a significant gender disparity, with men representing 76.4% of total cases; the crude death rate for men was 16.9 per 100,000, compared to 5 per 100,000 for women.

These statistics highlight a general downward trend in suicide rates across the Union over the past decade. Eurostat noted that these standardized rates account for differences in age structures between member states, providing a comparable metric to assess long-term public health developments.