800,000 People Commit Suicide Every Year; Highest In India

More than 800,000 people commit suicide every year, or one person every 40 seconds, with India accounting for the highest estimated number of suicides overall in 2012, according to WHO's first global report on suicide prevention.

The suicide rate is the highest in South-East Asia, as compared to other WHO regions. Some 75 percent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, says the report.

Generally, more men die by suicide than women. In richer countries, three times as many men die by suicide than women. Men aged 50 years and over are particularly vulnerable. In low- and middle-income countries, young adults and elderly women have higher rates of suicide than their counterparts in high-income countries. Women over 70 years old are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as women aged 15-29 years.

Pesticide poisoning, hanging and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally. Limiting access to these means, and a commitment by governments to the implementation of a coordinated plan of action can help prevent people resorting to a tragic end to their life, the report recommends. Currently, only 28 countries are known to have national suicide.

The first WHO publication of its kind, the report presents a comprehensive overview of suicide, suicide attempts and successful suicide prevention efforts worldwide.