Support The Moscow Times!

Russia's Suicide Rate Falls to 50-Year Low

The number of suicides in Russian totaled 24,982 last year — the lowest number in 50 years, the RBC news website reported Wednesday, citing official statistics data.

RBC also reported that last year there were 17.1 cases of suicide per 100,000 people, which is lower than in 1962, when 17.4 suicides for every 100,000 people were registered, but higher than in 1961 when the rate was 16.1.

Russian suicide rates have been declining over the past 14 years.

In 2015, the number of suicides was down 6.2 percent compared to 2014, according to the Rosstat state statistics service.

A high suicide rate — more than 20 cases per 100,000 people — was registered in 37 out of 85 regions last year, RBC reported. These include regions in the North, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, according to Rosstat.

Eighteen Russians regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg and the North Caucasus republics, showed low suicide rates — fewer than 10 cases for 100,000 people.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more