Suicide in Sri Lanka

Suicide in Sri Lanka is a common cause of unnatural death and a long term social issue.

Statistics

According to a report published in a seminar by Dr. Neil Fernando, head of National Institute of Mental Health in September 2011, almost 4,000 people commit suicide in Sri Lanka every year. Fernando's statistics shows the majority of victims were aged 15 to 44.^[1] According to the statistics of Registrar General's office, at the time of independence (1948) suicide rate in Sri Lanka was 09 per 100,000 people. In the 1970s, it rose up to 19 per 100,000, and in the mid 1980s, it reached 33 per 100,000. It remained static there afterwards.^[2]

Suicide rate

Age group	Suicide rate/1,000 population
	1950	1970	1975	1980	1986	1989	1996	1999
=<14	-	0.01	0.01	0.02	0.01	0.02	0.02	0.02
15-24	0.10	0.42	0.38	0.63	0.63	0.55	0.45	0.41
25-44	0.09	0.27	0.25	0.40	0.48	0.49	0.47	0.49
45-64	0.10	0.24	0.23	0.28	0.34	0.37	0.35	0.38
65-74	0.21	0.44	0.41	0.40	0.49	0.47	0.55	0.55
75+	0.37	0.50	0.75	0.78	0.74	0.56	0.57	0.67
Source: Registrar General's Office[2]

Common methods

Common methods to commit suicide include–

• Drinking insecticides
• Strangling
• Jumping into the water
• Jumping from height
• Using firearms
• Drinking acids, fuels or drugs

See also

• Suicide in Bangladesh
• Suicide bombing in Sri Lanka

References

1. "Sri Lanka suicide rate one of the world's highest". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
2. "Social Conditions of Sri Lanka" (PDF). Statistics.gov. pp. 14–16. Retrieved 16 November 2012.