As many as 6,866 people died by suicide in Nepal in the fiscal year 2024-025, a slight decline from 7,223 in the previous fiscal year 2023-24.

According to data provided by Nepal Police, on average, 18 people are taking their lives every day.

Of the total suicide incidents in the last fiscal year, the number of adult males was higher compared to females—3,704 males and 2,308 females. However, the number of female children was more than twice that of male children, 594 and 260, respectively.

Hanging was the primary cause of suicide, 5,798, while 961 people consumed poison to end their lives.

“The curve seen in the suicide trend is encouraging, but still thousands of people are killing themselves every year,” said Dr Phanindra Baral, chief of the mental health section at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. “We need to do a lot to lessen the ongoing trend of suicide.”

Nepal is among the countries with the highest suicide rates.

Police data show that 6,993 people killed themselves in the fiscal year 2022-023, followed by 6,792 in the fiscal year 2021-022.

As many as 7,117 people took their own lives in the fiscal year 2020-021, during which the country witnessed the second and third wave of the Covid pandemic.

Reducing one-third of premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention, treatment and promotion of mental health and well-being is among the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets to which Nepal is committed.

Experts say the suicide rate is an indicator of premature mortality within the SDGs, which are a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

When the government committed to the SDGs in 2015, around 16 people took their own lives every 24 hours. The government had committed to reducing the suicide rate to 9.7 per 100,000 each year by 2022, but this number rose to 24, and last year it increased further to 25.

The government aims to reduce the suicide rate to 4.7 per 100,000 population by 2030 to meet the SDG targets, which experts say is impossible based on the ongoing trend of suicides.

Health officials concede that the country is nowhere close to achieving the SDG target on suicide. To reach the target, a multisectoral approach, initiatives and massive funding are required.

Mental health experts say people do not attempt suicide for any single reason, but rather due to a complex mix of factors, including the rising cost of living and the struggle to manage even their most basic needs such as food, housing, healthcare, and job security. Even individuals who appear healthy on the outside could also be struggling with serious mental health problems, experts say.

Whatever the cause, suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect, impacting not only the individual but also families, friends, colleagues, communities, and societies.

A study carried out by the Nepal Health Research Council before the start of the pandemic shows that more than 10 percent of the adult population had mental issues in their lifetime, and 4.3 percent were undergoing some form of mental crisis.

The prevalence of suicidality, including current suicidal thoughts, past suicide attempts, and a future likelihood of suicidal thoughts, was found to be prevalent in 7.2 percent of the population.

“People generally do not like to talk about mental health issues due to the social stigma and lack of awareness,” said Dr Ananta Adhikari, former director at Nepal Mental Hospital. “To tackle the growing mental health problems, authorities have to adopt multisectoral approaches.”

Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Health and Population said they are aware of the growing burden of mental health issues and rising suicide rate, and have been taking various measures to address the problems.

According to officials, various mental health programmes have been launched in local units, including screening for mental health problems and training for health workers, teachers, and female community health volunteers. Awareness campaigns have been launched, and health facilities have been strengthened to provide basic services for mental health problems.

“A lot of efforts have been made and various initiatives have been taken,” said Adhikari. “But despite all we have done, people are dying every hour. To prevent this, we need to do more, invest more in mental health programmes.”

The World Health Organisation says one in four people in the world are affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives, and around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill health and disability worldwide.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the following helplines.

Nepal Mental Hospital suicide hotline: 1166

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital suicide prevention hotline: 9840021600:

Patan Hospital crisis helpline for suicide prevention: 9813476123

The Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation: 16600102005