Brazil suicide rates rise, with Southern region seeing highest concentration

Brazil recorded 16,533 suicides in 2025, an increase of 0.74% compared to the previous year, according to the 2026 Public Safety Map from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. This represents an average of approximately 45 deaths per day nationwide.

In the state of São Paulo, 2,995 cases were registered, a 2.53% increase from 2024. São Paulo accounted for the highest absolute volume of records among Brazilian states.

Data from DataSUS highlights a significant mental health crisis in the Southern region of Brazil. In Rio Grande do Sul, the suicide rate reached 13.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is 76% higher than the national average. In Santa Catarina, the rate was 12.4 per 100,000, exceeding the state's homicide rate. Paraná reported a rate of 10.4 per 100,000.

Geographically, the phenomenon is concentrated in the South; of the 50 Brazilian cities with over 30,000 inhabitants reporting the highest suicide rates, 34 are located in the Southern region. Specifically, the municipality of Teutônia in Rio Grande do Sul recorded a rate of 29.4 per 100,000, nearly four times the national average.