Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Suicide in Italy - Statistics & Facts
In 2021, the number of suicides in Italy amounted to 3,870, with this figure excluding those younger than 14 years due to the extreme rarity of this event during childhood. Suicide rates in Italy are more than three times higher among males than females. Reasons behind this tendency could be related to the difficulty some men have in asking for help, and therefore to receive therapy, and the lack of empathy that can be faced by men in case of emotional struggles. As of 2021, out of over 3.8 thousand suicides in the country, 529 of the individuals that took their life were also suffering from depression, while 329 had other mental disorders. Most suicides occurred among people aged between 35 and 64 years.
Euthanasia
Euthanasia in Italy, defined as the direct administration by medical personnel of a lethal drug to a patient who requests it after meeting specific requirements, is currently illegal. For this reason, 23 Italians traveled to Switzerland and referred to the association Dignitas to end their life in 2023, the second-highest number in the last two decades. The general population in Italy has a rather positive view towards euthanasia, with almost 68 percent of Italians having a favorable opinion in 2023. Since 2019, physician-assisted suicide, which consists of indirect aid in dying by a physician, has been allowed in Italy if four conditions are met: the person applying for it must be fully capable of consent, must have an irreversible medical condition carrying severe physical or mental suffering, and must survive on life-support treatment.Suicide among prisoners
The number of suicides among prisoners in Italy was never as high as in 2022 when 84 individuals took their life in jail. More than half of them committed suicide while serving their sentence for a few months, 15 individuals were in the penitentiary for a few days, and nine took their lives in the first 24 hours in jail. The suicide rate for people in prison in Italy is more than ten times higher than for people without charges. For example, in 2019, the suicide rate per 10,000 prisoners was 8.7, while considering individuals without charge this rate lowered to 0.7 per 10,000 free people. As of 2023, the suicide rate in jail amounted to 12 suicides per 10,000 detainees.
