On June 25, 2024, the National Board of Health and Welfare released the latest suicide statistics for 2023. These figures are compiled and analyzed annually by the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NASP) at Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm, covering national to local levels. The data indicates an uptick in suicides from the historic lows of 2020, yet the overall downward trend since 2000 persists.
NASP conducts epidemiological monitoring of suicides and self-harm incidents in Sweden to identify relevant risk groups and trends, which can inform targeted public health interventions. Our statistics pages are updated annually with data on suicides and self-harm/suicide attempts at the national and county levels. On June 25 this year, the National Board of Health and Welfare published the official cause of death statistics for 2023, and NASP has analyzed and compiled data on both confirmed and unconfirmed suicides.
No significant change in overall trend
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the suicide rate dropped abruptly to 1459 deaths, but this did not cause substantial changes in Sweden's overall downward suicide trend. Over the following three years (2021-2023), the suicide rate gradually increased to 1617 deaths in 2023, but this increase was marginal and did not alter the overall trend.
In this context, an "increase" means that the suicide rate is higher than the previous year's rate, without causing a trend break. By "trend," we refer to general patterns identifiable over longer periods, allowing for forecasts that indicate whether the suicide rate is likely to continue in the same direction in the coming years.
When stratifying cause of death data, i.e., dividing the population into smaller groups (such as men and women in five age categories), it becomes more challenging to detect trends due to greater annual variation. NASP's trend analyses, which largely consist of stratified data, can therefore be somewhat uncertain. Despite this uncertainty, these analyses can be useful for early identification of potential changes.
Age-specific suicide trends
Between certain start years up to 2023, the following general suicide trends (both confirmed and unconfirmed suicides) have been observed for different age groups in Sweden:
- Both genders, age group 15+ years: From 2000 to 2023, a significant decline of half a percent per year is observed. Both men and women contribute to this decrease. The calculation includes both confirmed and unconfirmed suicides. The findings are robust and credible.
- Both genders, age group 15-24 years: Previously, an increasing suicide trend was observed among young people, starting around 1994 up to 2022. Further analyses will be conducted to investigate whether this trend may have been broken in connection with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the period up to 2023.
- Both genders, age group 25-44 years: From 2003 to 2023, an annual increase of about half a percent is observed. The findings are relatively robust.
- Both genders, age group 45-64 years: From 2009 to 2023, an annual decrease of 1.5% is observed. The findings are relatively robust.
Continued examination of data
NASP will continue to analyze the cause of death statistics for 2023. Additionally, statistics on suicide methods and suicide attempts/self-harm will be analyzed and compiled.
The compilation of data at the municipal level for 2023 will begin in the fall of 2024.
