Overview

• New WHO reports estimate 727,000 suicide deaths in 2021—more than one in 100 deaths globally—and about 20 attempts for every death.
• Over one billion people are living with mental health disorders, with suicide a leading cause of death for females and males aged 15–29.
• Despite a 35% decline in age‑adjusted rates since 2000, trends diverge, including a 17% rise in the Americas and a concentration of deaths in lower‑income countries.
• Treatment and financing lag badly, with only about 9% of people with depression receiving care and median government mental‑health spending stuck at 2% of health budgets since 2017.
• WHO flagged rising youth distress with social media and the pandemic as leading hypotheses, and it plans country profiles as it pushes for rights‑based reforms and community‑based care.