Two million Chinese attempt suicide every year

Two million Chinese attempt suicide every year—constituting 3.6 per cent of the total deaths annually, according to an official study.

Though most of them are saved, still nearly 300,000 people kill themselves every year in a population of 1.3 billion, a survey by Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

As China marks world suicide prevention day on Saturday, the centre said the highest rate of suicide was among the age group 15-34.

Seventy-five per cent of the suicides were reportedly committed in rural areas and the number of suicides by women is 25 per cent higher than men, which is contrary to the trend seen in developed countries where the suicide rate among men is three times more, CDC said.

The survey ranked suicide as the fifth leading cause of death and a primary reason for death of people aged between 15 to 34 years in China, Xinhua reported.  The study was released ahead of the World Suicide Prevention Day on September 9.