Turkey's suicide profile: Married, men commit suicide more
Official figures on suicides show married people and men committed suicide more compared to singles and women in 2015.
Figures released by the state-run Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Friday indicate a 1.3 percent increase in the number of fatal suicide attempts last year in the country. Although no concrete number was released regarding suicide attempts, TurkStat said 3,211 people managed to kill themselves, up from 3,169 in 2014.
Some 72.7 percent of those who committed suicide were men, according to the figures.
The crude suicide rate, or number of suicides per 100,000 people, did not change over the past two years and remained 4.11.
Kars, a city in easternmost Turkey, had the highest crude suicide rate at 9.17 per 100,000 in 2015. The city, located on the border with Armenia, is among the quietest and least developed cities in the country and has a population of around 129,000 people. It is the first time the city found itself in first place for suicides. It was followed by Ardahan, a northeastern city that shares a similar small-town appearance with Kars, and is located only 93 kilometers away from the city.
The lowest suicide rate was in Çankırı, a city north of the capital Ankara, with only 1.1 people per 100,000 committing suicide. Çankırı, which has a population of about 183,000 people, may boast the lowest suicide rate even though it has the same nondescript appearance and is among the underdeveloped cities in the heartland of Turkey. Çankırı was followed by Rize with 1.21 suicides per 100,000.
Suicide rates were particularly high among men and women under the age of 30. Some18 percent of suicides by women last year were among those between the ages of 15 and 19.
The figures also gave the educational status of people who committed suicide. Almost a quarter of people who committed suicide, 23.7 percent, were primary school graduates while the rest were high school graduates or those who did not complete any school. The suicide rate among university graduates was 11.7 percent.
Married individuals accounted for 50.5 percent of people who committed suicide, 37.7 percent were people who never married and 7.2 percent were divorcees. Around 54 percent of those who committed suicide were married men, and the rate was 41.1 percent for married women. TurkStat did not release indicators regarding the methods used for the suicides.
Figures released by the state-run Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Friday indicate a 1.3 percent increase in the number of fatal suicide attempts last year in the country. Although no concrete number was released regarding suicide attempts, TurkStat said 3,211 people managed to kill themselves, up from 3,169 in 2014.
Some 72.7 percent of those who committed suicide were men, according to the figures.
The crude suicide rate, or number of suicides per 100,000 people, did not change over the past two years and remained 4.11.
Kars, a city in easternmost Turkey, had the highest crude suicide rate at 9.17 per 100,000 in 2015. The city, located on the border with Armenia, is among the quietest and least developed cities in the country and has a population of around 129,000 people. It is the first time the city found itself in first place for suicides. It was followed by Ardahan, a northeastern city that shares a similar small-town appearance with Kars, and is located only 93 kilometers away from the city.
The lowest suicide rate was in Çankırı, a city north of the capital Ankara, with only 1.1 people per 100,000 committing suicide. Çankırı, which has a population of about 183,000 people, may boast the lowest suicide rate even though it has the same nondescript appearance and is among the underdeveloped cities in the heartland of Turkey. Çankırı was followed by Rize with 1.21 suicides per 100,000.
Suicide rates were particularly high among men and women under the age of 30. Some18 percent of suicides by women last year were among those between the ages of 15 and 19.
The figures also gave the educational status of people who committed suicide. Almost a quarter of people who committed suicide, 23.7 percent, were primary school graduates while the rest were high school graduates or those who did not complete any school. The suicide rate among university graduates was 11.7 percent.
Married individuals accounted for 50.5 percent of people who committed suicide, 37.7 percent were people who never married and 7.2 percent were divorcees. Around 54 percent of those who committed suicide were married men, and the rate was 41.1 percent for married women. TurkStat did not release indicators regarding the methods used for the suicides.
Last Update: June 17, 2016 21:33