Suicide Becomes Leading Cause of Death for Koreans in Their 40s

A record year exposes a widening mental health emergency

Suicide now leads midlife mortality in South Korea. New data from Statistics Korea shows 14,872 people died by suicide in 2024, a 13 year high and a 6 percent increase from the previous year. The national suicide rate rose to 29.1 deaths per 100,000 people, the highest level since 2011 and nearly three times the average among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). For the first time since records began in 1983, suicide surpassed cancer as the top cause of death for people in their 40s. In that age group, 26 percent of all deaths were attributed to suicide, compared with 24.5 percent to cancer. The shift turns a long running concern into a new front in a nationwide mental health crisis.

The rise cuts across several demographics, but it is not uniform. Men died by suicide at a rate 2.5 times higher than women. Suicide has long been the leading cause of death among teenagers, people in their 20s and 30s. That pattern held firm in 2024, and the burden grew heavier for the 40s cohort, an age band that often anchors household finances and caregiving. The suicide rate among those in their 40s climbed from 31.6 to 36.2 per 100,000, according to the official tally.

Among teenagers, suicide accounted for nearly half of all deaths in 2024, at 48.2 percent, up from 46.1 percent a year earlier. For people in their 30s, the share rose to 44.4 percent from 40.2 percent in 2023. Rates fell among those in their 70s and those over 80, even as the country’s aging trend continued. The picture that emerges is stark: early and mid adulthood in Korea bears a growing share of preventable deaths from intentional self harm while very old age sees mortality driven more by chronic disease.

Why midlife vulnerability is rising

Midlife in Korea sits at the intersection of financial stress, work demands, and heavy family responsibilities. People in their 40s often support school age children while also caring for aging parents. They are frequently in roles with high accountability and long working hours. The pressure to maintain income during a period of high housing, education and caregiving costs can grind down mental health. When financial setbacks or job insecurity strike at this stage, the shock can ripple through the household budget, family life and personal identity.

Economic strain and the sandwich generation

Debt obligations, mortgage burdens and education expenses stack up during the 40s. Parents face intense expectations around education performance and enrichment programs. At the same time, more families are providing support for parents who are living longer with chronic conditions. This sandwich generation reality compounds stress. The constant balancing act can fuel anxiety and depression, especially if people are reluctant to seek help or lack easy access to services during working hours.

Stigma, access and the gender gap

Stigma around mental illness remains a barrier. Many people still hesitate to seek counseling or psychiatric care for fear of being judged at work, within the family or by peers. Men face particular pressure to appear stoic. That partly explains why men die by suicide far more often than women. Access is another challenge. Affordable and convenient mental health care can be difficult to secure in some communities, and wait times for specialists are long in many areas. When treatment is delayed, crises can escalate quickly.

How South Korea compares with peers

Korea’s rate stands out in international context. Among OECD members, the country has the highest suicide mortality rate, close to triple the OECD average of 10.8 per 100,000 people. Several OECD countries have lowered suicide mortality over the past decade, helped by sustained investment in primary care, community mental health, and means restriction. Korea’s rate fell after 2011 but has risen again in recent years, especially among younger and midlife groups.

Short term fluctuations also matter. Early in 2024, preliminary monthly tallies pointed to an unusual spike, with a record monthly high in January. Monthly counts move with seasonal and social factors, and they can reflect short lived shocks or the aftereffects of publicized tragedies. A single month does not define a trend, but the spike helped foreshadow the year’s final increase and has fueled calls for steadier outreach, better media practices and round the clock crisis response.

Where suicide risk clusters and why local context matters

Research on community patterns reveals that suicide risk is not evenly distributed. A 2024 study examining district level data found that suicide mortality rates cluster geographically, with higher rates among men and in rural and coastal areas. Several community characteristics stood out in places with higher male suicide mortality: a larger share of older residents, more single person households, fewer psychiatric clinics, and higher levels of unmet medical needs. Metropolitan areas such as Seoul tended to have lower rates, likely reflecting denser health infrastructure and more social services.

These patterns point to the need for region specific planning. A rural district with many older residents and few clinics faces a different set of challenges than a dense urban ward with many young adults. Expanding the mental health workforce outside major cities, strengthening public health centers, and using telepsychiatry to fill gaps between visits can close critical access holes. Community based programs that reduce isolation, especially for men living alone, can also lower risk.

Trends, change points and the limits of raw statistics

Suicide data in Korea has not moved in a straight line over the past two decades. Statistical studies have identified several change points in reported suicide mortality, including jumps in 2003 and 2008 and a sharp decline around 2012. Those shifts coincided with improvements in how deaths were classified, which reduced the number of ill defined and accidental categories and assigned more cases to suicide. These measurement changes suggest that part of the dramatic swing in the 2000s was tied to better case ascertainment, not only to social and economic conditions.

That context matters for interpretation. The improving accuracy of cause of death reporting means earlier trends likely underestimated suicide in some years. It does not diminish the urgency of the current moment. The 2024 rise is real in both counts and rates. It also marks a sobering first: suicide is now the leading cause of death in midlife. Policymakers and clinicians need long term time series, but they also need to monitor short term surges and local hotspots to respond quickly.

The wider mortality picture in 2024

South Korea recorded 358,569 deaths in 2024, up 1.7 percent from 2023. The population is aging quickly. People aged 80 and older accounted for 54.1 percent of all deaths last year, up more than 15 percentage points compared with a decade earlier. Cancer remained the top cause of death overall, responsible for about a quarter of all fatalities. Heart disease was second, with a mortality rate of 65.7 per 100,000 people, followed by pneumonia and cerebrovascular disease. Suicide ranked fifth as an overall cause at 4.1 percent of deaths, but it dominates the cause profile for people under 50.

Within cancer, lung cancer had the highest mortality, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Deaths from prostate, esophageal and pancreatic cancers increased. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease deaths rose as well, reflecting the aging trend. These patterns underline the twin challenges for public health: a climbing burden of chronic disease among older adults and a continuing mental health crisis that is taking lives in early and mid adulthood.

What has worked and what needs to scale

Korea has invested in suicide prevention over the past two decades. The Suicide Prevention Act in 2011 provided a national framework, and several targeted measures produced results. Restricting access to lethal pesticides helped reduce suicide among older adults, since pesticide ingestion had been a common method in rural areas. Hospital based follow up care after suicide attempts lowered the risk of repeat attempts by connecting patients to ongoing support. Gatekeeper training programs have taught teachers, police, social workers and community leaders to recognize warning signs and refer people to help.

Despite these gains, progress has stalled for younger and midlife groups, and rates have climbed since around 2017. Closing the gap requires broad, sustained action that meets people where they actually spend their time. Integrating mental health with primary care can shorten wait times and reduce stigma, since patients are already visiting family doctors for routine care. Expanding same day access at public health centers and subsidizing counseling can lower cost barriers. Digital services can help with screening, brief therapy and follow up between visits, while still protecting privacy.

Means safety should remain a priority. Barriers and surveillance at known jumping points, safer storage programs, and sales practices that make it harder to access harmful products during a crisis save lives. Media outlets can follow best practices that avoid detailed descriptions, do not sensationalize, and provide help information. These steps reduce the Werther effect, where widely publicized suicides trigger rises in deaths. Education that highlights coping stories, sometimes called the Papageno effect, can promote recovery and encourage help seeking.

Targeted responses for people in their 40s

Prevention in midlife needs to address mental health and the pressures of work and caregiving at the same time. Primary care clinics and workplace health programs can screen for depression, anxiety and alcohol misuse during routine visits and annual checkups. When clinicians identify risk, they can offer brief interventions, safety planning, and fast referrals for therapy and medication. Employers can make a difference by offering confidential counseling, flexible scheduling during care crises, and manager training to respond to distress without stigma.

Financial stress is a major trigger in midlife. Coordinated programs that combine mental health care with debt counseling, housing support and legal aid help stabilize daily life while treatment begins. Caregivers benefit from respite services, employer backed leave and community day programs for older adults. Men face the highest risk and often engage less with care. Campaigns and services designed for men, including peer groups, short format counseling at primary care clinics, and supportive programs in community centers, can close that gap.

Getting help now

If you are thinking about self harm or suicide, or you are worried about someone else, help is available right now. In Korea, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare helpline at 109. The line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can request a translator for English language services. For foreign language assistance to connect with mental health professionals, you can also call the Danuri Portal at 1577-1366. If there is immediate danger, contact emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department.

Key Points

• Suicide became the leading cause of death for Koreans in their 40s in 2024, the first time on record it surpassed cancer in this age group.
• South Korea recorded 14,872 suicides in 2024, a 13 year high, with a national rate of 29.1 per 100,000 people.
• Men died by suicide at 2.5 times the rate of women, underscoring a persistent gender gap in mortality.
• Suicide accounted for 26 percent of all deaths among people in their 40s, while cancer accounted for 24.5 percent.
• Among teenagers and people in their 30s, the share of deaths due to suicide also rose in 2024.
• Korea’s suicide rate is the highest among OECD members, close to triple the OECD average.
• Rural and coastal areas with older populations and fewer clinics show higher male suicide mortality, pointing to the need for local strategies.
• Policies such as pesticide restrictions and hospital follow up care have helped older adults, but new approaches are needed for younger and midlife groups.
• Integrated primary care, easier access to counseling, means safety, responsible media practices and workplace programs can reduce deaths.
• Help is available in Korea at the Ministry of Health and Welfare helpline at 109 and the Danuri Portal at 1577-1366.