Crisis Care · Japan
Child suicides in Japan hit a record high in 2025 for the second straight year
Provisional Ministry of Health data shows 532 schoolchildren died by suicide in 2025, even as Japan's overall suicide rate fell.
Japan's overall suicide rate continued to decline in 2025, but the number of suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students rose to 532 — the highest figure since record-keeping began in 1980, and the second consecutive year of record highs.
Government and academic commentators interviewed in the piece point to school pressures, online environments, and the strain on adolescent psychiatric care as overlapping drivers. The Ministry of Education has signaled an expansion of school counselor programs in response.
Read The Mainichi's full report for the breakdown by school level and the policy response.
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