Suicide Rates in Indonesia Have Decreased Over the Past 20 Years

Over the past 20 years, suicide rates in Indonesia have been declining. In 2020, the suicide rate in the country reached 3.5 per 100,000 people.

A World Bank report shows that the suicide rate in Indonesia reached 2.4 per 100,000 people. This means that 2 out of every 100,000 people in Indonesia committed suicide. This ratio has remained relatively stable from 2014 to 2019.

In 2019, the suicide rate for men in Indonesia was higher than that of women, at 3.7 per 100,000 people. The suicide rate for women in the same year was 1.1 per 100,000 people.

However, Indonesia's suicide rate remains low compared to other countries. Lesotho had the highest suicide rate in the world in 2019, reaching 72.4 per 100,000 people.

Benny Prawira Siauw, founder of Into The Light Indonesia, says that suicidal thoughts are generally influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biological and psychological factors include genetic conditions, brain structure, and stress management. Social factors include bullying, discrimination, family conditions, and access to mental health services. According to Benny, suicidal thoughts are the result of the accumulation of these factors over the long term.

September 10th is observed as World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). This commemoration began in 2003 after the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized suicide as a very serious issue.