Youth suicides in Hong Kong hit 10-year high: court report

Students sit for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams in Hong Kong, April 24, 2020. EPA-Yonhap

Youth suicide cases confirmed by Hong Kong Coroner's Court reached a decade-high last year, despite a 10 percent overall decline across the population to 1,019.

According to the annual coroners' report published last month, suicide cases confirmed by the court declined across almost all age groups, except for those aged between 10 and 19.

Last year, 46 adolescents aged 10 to 19 were reported to have taken their own lives, up from 34 cases in the previous year and reaching a decade high. Most of these deaths involved falls from height.

There was also one girl aged below 10 who took her own life.

The age group that had the sharpest decline was the 40-to-49 bracket, which recorded 138 cases, down by 26 percent from 186 in the previous year.

The total number of suicide cases, although 10 percent down from the 10-year peak of 1,138 in 2024, was still well above the triple-digit figures recorded before the pandemic.

From 2016 to 2019, the total number of suicide cases hovered between 900 and 990 each year.

People aged 70 or above remained the highest-risk group, with 257 reports, or over a quarter of all cases. They were followed by those aged between 60 and 69, with 179 suicide deaths recorded.

Men accounted for 64 percent of all suicide death reports, a slight drop from the 67 percent recorded in 2024.

Overall, men aged 70 or above recorded the highest number of fatalities, followed by men in their fifties.

Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, of the Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong, said that although an overall decline in cases was a positive sign, the rising trend of juvenile suicides was worrying.

He said the previous spike in suicides was driven by the pandemic's lingering impact and a migration wave, both of which disrupted support systems and fostered prolonged alienation.

"Post-Covid-19, we saw a deeply concerning trend of digital isolation, as young people turn to screens and even AI chatbots instead of human connection to solve their problems," he said.

"This virtual alienation is so critical that many countries like Australia, Canada and Britain are trying to limit the screen time of the underage."

While the government introduced a three-tier, school-based emergency mechanism to enable earlier detection and intervention, Yip pointed out that only one in four cases was "known to the system".

While some could be impulsive suicides with few early signs of distress, he said it was important to create an environment in which young people were truly cared for and accepted for who they were, noting that many harboured a "deep hopelessness".

"From the suicide notes of young people, we understand that they do not necessarily lack goals. Rather, their goals often clash with parental expectations," he said.

"They resist living under the weight of others' expectations, yet find themselves unable to alter their circumstances or break free from parental influence.

"This profound misalignment leaves many feeling deeply apologetic."

With the university entrance exam results to be released next Wednesday, Yip urged parents to manage their expectations.

"Parents should refrain from reproaching their children if the outcomes are unsatisfactory, just as they should avoid taking credit when the results are good - it likely has nothing to do with them," he said.

Yip added that the coroners' report might not cover all suicide cases due to potential time lags in handling the cases, but he expected the centre's analysis of the data, to be released in September after an adjustment using their own estimation model, to reflect a similar trend.

Data from the centre showed the suicide rate among those aged 15 to 24 was 11.7 per 100,000 in 2024.

The rate of those aged 15 to 24 in countries such as Japan and the United States was 16.8 per 100,000, while France and Germany had the lowest at five per 100,000, according to the World Health Organization.

As for the decline in other age groups, Yip said he believed that it could be the result of the government and NGOs reaching out to at-risk elderly and an improving economy, although he said suicide was often a decision driven by multiple factors.

Social welfare lawmaker Grace Chan Man-yee said Hong Kong should strengthen its suicide prevention efforts, despite the slight decline in overall cases.

"We need to employ different channels to connect with the younger generation ... and give parents and students different choices when it comes to intervention," Chan said.

As for addressing elderly suicide, she believed more could be done in the medical setting, providing assessments to the carers and the elderly they were looking after who were diagnosed with severe or terminal illness, intercepting potential tragedies before a mutual breakdown occurred.

If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline.

You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations' helplines, see this page.

Read the article at SCMP.