Germany recorded its highest number of suicides in nearly three decades last year. According to figures released by the Federal Statistical Office, 11,334 people died by suicide in 2025,
Germany recorded its highest number of suicides in nearly three decades last year. According to figures released by the Federal Statistical Office, 11,334 people died by suicide in 2025, An increase of 962 cases, or 9.3 per cent, compared with the previous year. This represents the highest level since 1998. The figure is also higher than the combined number of deaths caused by traffic accidents, murders, illegal drugs and AIDS. According to the report, men accounted for 69.2 per cent of all suicides. However, the increase was disproportionately higher among women, with female suicide deaths rising by 17.9 per cent, compared with a 5.8 per cent increase among men.
An analysis by Germany's National Suicide Prevention Program found that the annual number of suicides has increased by 23 per cent since 2021. Nevertheless, the current figure remains below the historical peak of 18,825 recorded in 1981. The majority of suicides, accounting for 73.7 per cent of cases, involved people aged over 50. In terms of methods, hanging was the most common, accounting for 4,145 cases. This was followed by suicides involving medication, which totalled 2,848 cases, a significant increase from 2,002 in 2024. Medication-related suicides alone accounted for approximately 88 per cent of the overall annual increase.
The statistics also point to a rise in suicide deaths among young people in Germany. Among girls aged 15 to 19, the number increased from 52 in 2024 to 84 in 2025. The overall number of suicides among teenagers rose from 188 to 208. Among people aged between five and 24, approximately 18 per cent of all deaths were attributed to suicide.
The German government has not identified a definitive cause for the dramatic increase. However, several experts have linked the trend to the growing prevalence of assisted suicide. Three major organizations reported 1,287 assisted suicides last year, compared with 977 in 2024 and just 346 in 2021. Germany's legal framework also permits assisted suicide for people who are not suffering from terminal illnesses.
Ulrich Hegerl, chairman of the German Depression Aid and Suicide Prevention Foundation, criticised what he described as Germany's "extreme position" on the issue. He warned that when assisted suicide becomes normalized as a service, the threshold for choosing it is lowered, potentially increasing the number of tragic and preventable suicides. Offering another explanation, Otte Lewitzka, a suicide researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt, described the increase as a crisis situation. She suggested that financial difficulties and uncertainty could intensify suicidal thoughts among vulnerable individuals, while social media might also play a role.
