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Suicide deaths fall to 14,144, marking the first decline in three years
Both the number of suicides and the suicide rate in South Korea saw a welcome decline in 2025. According to the “2025 Cause of Death Statistics” released by the National Data Agency on September 22, the number of suicide deaths stood at 14,144. This is a drop of 728 from the 14,872 recorded in 2024, representing a 4.9% decrease. The suicide rate, meaning the number of deaths per 100,000 people, also fell by 4.7% during the same period, coming down from 29.1 to 27.8.
After rising for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, the suicide rate has finally shifted downward. Looking purely at the overall numbers, this signals a meaningful break in a recent worsening trend. Yet, a closer look at international comparisons and age-specific data reveals a more complex reality. South Korea continues to hold the highest suicide rate among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, and, unlike other age groups, the rate among teenagers went up.
A structural gap more than double the OECD average
When adjusted for age structure differences across countries, South Korea’s age-standardized suicide rate under OECD criteria was 24.9 per 100,000 people. This is the highest among all member nations. It sits 6.8 points above second-place Lithuania (18.1) and is more than double the OECD average of 10.9. The discrepancy between the domestic rate of 27.8 and the OECD comparative figure of 24.9 exists simply because the latter applies the OECD’s standard population model for accurate international benchmarking.
South Korea has maintained the top spot for OECD suicide rates since 2003. We need to look at the recent drop in annual figures independently from the international gap that has persisted for over two decades. While the 2025 numbers point in a positive direction for the short term, they don’t mean the deep-rooted problem has gone away: South Korea still struggles with this issue far more severely than its peers.
Declines across most demographics, but teen rate reaches 8.6
Suicide rates fell across every age bracket, except for teenagers. The rate per 100,000 people dropped from 22.5 to 20.8 for those in their 20s, 30.4 to 28.2 for their 30s, and 36.2 to 34.3 for their 40s. We saw similar decreases for older groups: falling from 36.5 to 35.6 in their 50s, 31.9 to 29.0 in their 60s, and 35.6 to 32.9 in their 70s. Even the rate for those aged 80 and above dipped slightly, from 53.3 to 52.6.
In contrast, the rate among teenagers climbed from 8.0 to 8.6. Breaking this down by gender, the rate for adolescent boys rose from 7.4 to 8.0, while for adolescent girls, it increased from 8.7 to 9.4. The head of the Vital Statistics Division at the National Data Agency explained that past data points to a complex mix of psychiatric and family-related challenges behind teen suicides. They were careful, however, not to pinpoint a single cause for the 2025 uptick, noting that more detailed analysis is required.
These age-specific numbers highlight that relief has not been felt evenly across the board. While the teen suicide rate is objectively lower than that of the elderly population, it deserves careful attention as the only demographic that saw an increase from the previous year. A better national average doesn’t mean youth mental health is improving overall.
Fifth leading cause of death overall, but number one for ages 10 to 49
Intentional self-harm, or suicide, ranked as the fifth leading cause of mortality overall, accounting for 3.9% of all deaths. Looking at the entire South Korean population, it falls behind cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, and cerebrovascular diseases. But slice the data by age, and a very different picture emerges. Suicide was the leading cause of death for teens, as well as people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. For those in their 40s, it ranked number one for the second consecutive year. It was the second leading cause of death for people in their 50s, and fourth for those in their 60s.
Cancer remained the top cause of death overall, responsible for 24.9% of all fatalities, followed by heart disease at 9.3%, pneumonia at 8.5%, and cerebrovascular disease at 6.8%. Illness accounts for most deaths once older populations are factored into the picture. But for adolescents, young adults, and the middle-aged, suicide remains the most prominent threat to life. Both the overall ranking and the age-specific breakdown matter for understanding how people in South Korea die.
The 2025 statistics present a layered story: an overall encouraging drop, the persistent long-term challenge of leading the OECD, and concerning signs among the youth. What happens next will show whether this broader decline holds, and whether the increase among teenagers was a one-year blip or the start of something else. Without diving deeper into the specific causes, it is hard to attribute the rising teen rate to any single factor just yet.
Source: National Data Agency, “2025 Cause of Death Statistics,” September 22, 2026.
