Have you tried
Swivel Business?

Suicide Epidemic in Japan

By Natalie on Jul 21, 2008
Viewed 5273 times

Graph Table Map Absolute Relative More Options

Type	Vertical Scale	Time Scale	Data Aggregation
Bar Horizontal Bar Scatter Line Other Views Table	Absolute Relative to Average Relative to Range	Yearly	Average High Low Total Count Distinct None

Sources: OECD Factbook 2007: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics - ISBN 92-64-02946-X - (http://lysander.sourceoecd....) and WHO (http://www.who.int/mental_h...)

USA Today reported that "a suicide fad is sweeping Japan." Last year nearly 34,000 Japanese men and women committed suicide. The country's suicide rate is ninth highest in the world and nearly double the rate of the US. The article points to weak economic growth and a high rate of unemployment as one reason for the self-inflicted deaths. This graph shows the suicide rates and long-term unemployment rates in Japan. Among Japanese suicides, nearly 71 percent are men, more than 73 percent are over the age of 40, and more than 57 percent are jobless. —Natalie

Comments (4)

apurba

apurba says

Great graph Natalie.
Exploring more into the Suicide fad in Japan,it mostly shaped up in various BBS & forums whereby it got spread to teenagers. We have just contributed one blog on this buzz.

Where’s the Buzz :Internet Suicide in Japan

posted 11 months ago

apurba

apurba says

http://www.trendsspotting.c...

posted 11 months ago

anewc2

anewc2 says

If a suicide epidemic is sweeping Japan, then why did the rate go down slightly between 2000-2004? From the graph it appears that it's an epidemic of unemployment sweeping Japan, while suicide rates have not responded to it in recent years as they did during the 1990s.

posted 11 months ago

Natalie

Natalie says

@anewc2, You might be absolutely right. With this graph I wasn't trying to suggest a direct causation between unemployment rates and the rate of suicide. I just wanted to show that there was a possible correlation, as the USA Today article had suggested.

Just to note, the article also pointed to other causes, such as the use of the internet, as a way of spreading possible methods of committing suicide.

posted 11 months ago