The number of suicides in the last year was 20,919, and the number of suicides, which had been decreasing for 10 consecutive years, started to increase.

The country has decided to proceed with analysis and strengthen countermeasures as it may be affected by the spread of the new coronavirus.

According to the National Police Agency, the number of people who committed suicide in the last year was 20,919, an increase of 750, or 3.7%, from the lowest ever.



The number of suicides has increased from the previous year since 2009, shortly after the Lehman shock.



By gender, the


number of males decreased by 135 to 13,943, while the number of


females was 6976, an increase of 885 from the previous year, the highest number in the past five years.



In addition, child suicides are also conspicuous, with


13 elementary school


students, 120

junior high school students, and


307


high school students, and the total number of suicides for elementary and junior high school students and high school students is 440, the highest number ever since November last year. ..



By prefecture,


Tokyo has the largest number with 2237,


followed by Osaka with 1379,


Kanagawa with 1245,


Saitama with 1181, and


Aichi with 1173.



The government will proceed with the analysis that the spread of the new coronavirus may have an effect, and will strengthen various measures in collaboration with private organizations.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare "Consultation without having to worry"

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, "There is a possibility that changes in the economic situation and living environment due to the corona disaster may have an effect, so we will continue to focus on measures such as connecting to specialized support organizations according to our concerns."



On top of that, he says, "I think that many people are worried about their lives due to the effects of the new coronavirus, so please consult with people close to you, support organizations, local government offices, etc. without having to worry about yourself."



The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has also set up a site that introduces consultation counters in each region.



The URL is "http://shienjoho.go.jp/" and can be searched by "Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Support Information".



In addition to telephone, we also accept consultations by e-mail or SNS at the counters listed.



At some counters, the number of consultations has increased rapidly, and in some cases it is not possible to respond immediately, so the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says, "If you cannot connect, please look for other counters to find a consultation."