Suicide on the rise among young Dutch under 30, especially young women

The number of suicides among young people under 30 is on the rise in the Netherlands. In 2024, 212 teenagers and people in their 20s took their own lives. Last year, that had increased to 290, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Commissie Actuele Nederlandse Suïcideregistratie (CANS).

The total number of suicides decreased slightly. Last year, 1,785 people in the Netherlands took their own lives. According to CANS, it was the first time since 2012 that the number of suicides was below 1,800.

The number of suicides among young adults and teenagers averaged about an entire school class per month last year.

According to Renske Gilissen, endowed professor of suicide prevention, the number of young people in the Netherlands has also grown in the past decade, but proportionally less than the number of suicides. “It fluctuates, but over the years, you see the number of suicides increasing,” she told NOS. “We often hear that young people are not doing well mentally, but this is truly the worst outcome."

Men are more likely to die by suicide, but the increase among young people is particularly visible in young women. The number of self-harm cases among women is also on the rise, Gillisen said.

The 113 Fonds, the suicide-prevention fund, has launched a campaign aimed at reducing the number of suicides among young people by encouraging discussions about mental health. The campaign is titled Lessons for Life, translated from Dutch.

113 has also been interviewing as many surviving loved ones as possible in recent years, to try and find a reason behind the increasing number of suicides, or at least identify some clear warning signs.

The interviews reveal that many young people who died by suicide dropped out of school early. Among young women, they were often already receiving some form of care. “Sometimes they had already made previous attempts,” Gilissen told NOS. Among men, suicide often came as a complete surprise to their loved ones. “You also see other problems in this group, such as autism and addictions.”

Talking about suicidal thoughts is very important for preventing suicide, even when it makes you uncomfortable, clinical psychologist Maryke Geerdink told the broadcaster. If someone says they’re considering suicide, even jokingly, listen to them. “Sometimes people are tempted to say: ‘No, stop, you should not think like that.’ But just let them talk.” Then ask what the person needs now, or what you could do to help.