Overview

• A cross-country review of WHO records covering 102 nations finds rates fell from 10.33 to 7.24 per 100,000 between 1990 and 2021.
• High-income countries recorded a 32.1% decline (12.68 to 8.61), compared with a 27% drop to 5.73 in low- and middle-income settings.
• Researchers warn of significant underreporting in many poorer countries due to stigma, religious prohibitions, or criminalization, with some places seeing increases alongside rapid urbanization.
• Men continue to die by suicide far more often than women, with 2021 global rates of 11.51 versus 3.22 per 100,000.
• Annual deaths still exceed 700,000 worldwide, and forecasts suggest a gradual fall to about 6.49 per 100,000 by 2050, though analysts stress substantial uncertainty.