South Korea suicide rate falls, but teen mortality hits record high

South Korea's suicide rate decreased by 4.7% last year to 27.8 per 100,000 people, but suicide remains the leading cause of death for individuals aged 10 to 40. Notably, the suicide rate among teenagers rose by 7.5%, reaching a record high of 8.6 per 100,000 since statistics began being recorded.

While the overall suicide rate declined, the prevalence of suicide among the youth remains critical, accounting for over half of all deaths in the 10 and 20 age groups. For those aged 50 and older, cancer remains the primary cause of death.

Other health trends include a 9.2% increase in dementia mortality and a rise in sepsis, which moved up to the eighth leading cause of death. Additionally, the maternal mortality ratio rose by 28.8%, exceeding the OECD average. Despite an increase in the total number of deaths due to an aging population, the age-standardized mortality rate showed a decrease, indicating a general reduction in age-specific mortality risks.