Suicide Becomes Leading Cause of Death for Argentine Youth

Suicide has overtaken traffic accidents as the primary cause of death among adolescents and young adults in Argentina. Data from the Ministry of Health show that in 2024 there were 3,614 suicides, including 787 among teenagers and 957 among young adults, a rate of 7.8 deaths per 100,000 people. This marks an increase from the 2021 low of 6.3 per 100,000. The trend continued into 2025, with 5,209 deaths recorded, the highest figure since comparable statistics began. Men account for roughly four‑fifths of the fatalities. The rise mirrors a regional pattern: the Pan American Health Organization reports that the Americas are the only world region where youth suicide mortality continues to climb, rising from 5.7 to 7.8 per 100,000 between 2000 and 2021. Experts describe the phenomenon as multicausal, involving individual, family, social and community factors, and stress that most cases are preventable with coordinated public‑health action.