According to RBP statistics, the number of suicide cases among the nation’s economically active population has escalated to concerning levels, with nearly 68 percent of those who committed suicide last year being between the ages of 20 and 59. Out of the 103 suicides that were reported in 2024, 70 victims—52 men and 18 women—were between the ages of 20 and 59. In 2024, at least 35% of people of working age were economically inactive, according to LFSQR. This pattern shows that the number of economically active people in Bhutan has been steadily declining. In the last two years, there has been a 7.3% increase in suicide cases, with a 5.6% increase in male cases.
The number of men seeking their services increased from 68 cases in 2023 to 78 cases in 2024, according to RENEW. The districts with the most cases over the previous two years were Chukha and Samtse, followed by Thimphu and Sarpang. The RBP report also reveals that both younger and older age groups are represented among those who have injured themselves. In 2024, there was one case involving a child under the age of twelve, sixteen cases involving teenagers between the ages of thirteen and nineteen, and sixteen more involving people sixty years of age and older. The increase in suicide cases emphasizes how critical it is to give everyone’s mental health, regardless of age or gender, top priority.
