(UPDATE) TOKYO — Japan saw a record number of suicides among students in 2024, data from its Health Ministry showed on Wednesday.The latest figures on those in elementary through high school rose to 527 from 513 cases in 2023, the ministry said.The total number of people, regardless of age, dying by suicide fell 7.2 percent to 20,268, sharply lower from the record 34,427 in 2003.The number of people aged 20 and younger, including those at school, who took their own lives also dropped to 800 in 2024 from 810 the year before.'We regard this very seriously,' Keiichiro Tachibana, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, told a regular press briefing.'We will continue to do our utmost to take measures to protect children's lives and to realize a society where no one is pressed into taking their own life,' he said.The Health Ministry was expected to issue its analysis of the data in March after more figures become available.Japan annually sees the number of teen suicides rise at the end of every summer break in late August through early September. This prompted the government and media to heighten public calls for struggling teens to seek help.The exact reasons for the bulk of student suicides remain unknown.Past analysis has shown teens contending with several pressures, including related to studies, bullying, relationships, career choices and health issues.At the 2003 peak, the number of men killing themselves in Japan outnumbered women by almost three to one, prompting the government to take action.This has included aggressive awareness campaigns, mental health services and efforts to improve the rigorous workplace culture.Last year, there were 13,763 male suicides, a 45-percent drop from 2003, while 6,505 females took their own lives, down 31 percent.
