© RTL
More than one in six deaths among people aged 15–29 in the European Union in 2022 were the result of suicide, according to the latest available figures from Eurostat.
Latest data from Eurostat show that 5,017 young people aged 15–29 died as a result of intentional self-harm in 2022.
While the number is 20% lower than in 2011, suicide remains the second leading cause of death for young Europeans, after accidents. For the general population, the share is far smaller, with suicide accounting for about one in 100 deaths.
© Eurostat
Within the youth bracket, risk increased with age. The highest crude death rate was among 25–29-year-olds, at 8.3 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 7.7 for those aged 20–24 and 4.4 for teenagers. Since 2011, each group has recorded slight declines, with the steepest drop among people in their twenties.
Across all age groups, 49,042 people died by suicide in the EU in 2022 – an increase of 1,696 compared with the previous year. Slovenia, Lithuania, and Hungary reported the highest standardised suicide rates, while Cyprus, Greece, and Malta recorded the lowest.
Luxembourg: Self-harm among young people
In Luxembourg, suicide has overtaken accidents as the leading cause of death among people aged 15–29. National figures show that of 35 deaths recorded in this age group in 2022, 13 were suicides.
Psychotherapist Fränz D’Onghia of the Luxembourg League of Mental Health speaking in 2024 described the level of suicidal ideation among secondary school pupils as “alarmingly high”, with almost a quarter reporting such thoughts in the past year. While demand for support has risen sharply, experts warn that services remain overstretched and often ill-equipped to respond.
Teen mental health in the Grand Duchy
Luxembourg's teen psychiatric health, although not the worst in the EU, still gives cause for concern.
A 2022 HBSC survey found that 20.8% of adolescents aged 11–18 showed signs of depression, while more than a third (34.1%) reported symptoms of anxiety ranging from mild to severe.
Poor mental health is a precursor to 90% of cases where death is caused by self harm.
Gender disparities
Gender differences remain stark: in the 2022 HSBC report nearly half of girls displayed signs of anxiety, and more than a quarter were considered at risk of depression.
Psychiatrists report that girls, once underrepresented in wards, now account for a growing share of patients – a shift linked by clinicians to pressures on social media, where constant comparison and online harassment weigh heavily.
Local initiatives, such as LëtzMind, have attempted to respond by sending psychology students into schools to break down taboos and open discussion, but professionals warn that teachers and parents often feel ill-equipped to intervene effectively.
Support on the topics discussed in this article is available from the following organisations:
prevention-depression.lu
findahelpline.com
llhm.lu
Kanner-Jugendtelefon (KJT)
Read also: Accessing services and support
