Japan has witnessed a record high number of child suicides in 2025 for the second consecutive year.
Preliminary government data showed that the number of children in Japan who died by suicide in 2025 rose to 532 — three more than a year earlier, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported on Thursday.
The highest figure since records became available in 1980 came despite an overall reduction in suicides across the country, with the number of people taking their own lives declining to 19,097, falling below 20,000 for the first time.
The number of suicides among children has remained above 500 annually since the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2025, some 352 senior high school students died by suicide, followed by 170 junior high school students and 10 elementary school pupils.
By gender, they included 277 females and 255 males, with school, health, and family-related issues cited as key factors behind child suicides.
The number of suicides per 100,000 people stood at 15.4, down by 1.0 from the previous year.
Pressures on youth
According to a report by the Japan NPO Center, a national body supporting Japan’s nonprofit and civil society sector, youth suicide in Japan is driven by multiple, overlapping factors that continue to place severe psychological strain on children and adolescents.
The report states that the long-standing societal pressures linked to academic achievement and uncertainty about future prospects weigh heavily on young people, while bullying and social isolation further increase emotional distress.
Broader shifts in social life — including intensive use of digital media and online environments — have exacerbated feelings of loneliness and anxiety among adolescents, the report said.
Mental health stigma and limited help-seeking behaviour remain critical barriers, preventing many struggling young people from accessing timely support, it added.
