STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Suicide was the second leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds in 2016, according to data from the World Health Organization
- Nearly 800,000 people take their own life every year, with 79% of suicides taking place in low- and middle-income countries
- High-income countries had the highest rate of suicide, at 11.5 per 100,000 people
- The number of people who die by suicide annually is more than the number of people killed by malaria, breast cancer, war or homicide
- It’s estimated that self-poisoning with pesticides is responsible for 20% of suicides worldwide, primarily in rural agricultural areas in low- and middle-income countries
- WHO highlighted restricting access to pesticides that are used for self-poisoning as a highly effective strategy for reducing suicides