Germany recorded 11,334 deaths by suicide in 2025, the highest annual total since 1998, according to official figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) and analyses by the National Suicide Prevention Programme (NaSPro) and the German Academy for Suicide Prevention.
The figure represents a 9.3 percent increase from 10,372 suicides in 2024 and stands 15.6 percent above the average of the previous ten years. It marks a clear reversal of the long-term downward trend that had characterised the decades after the 1980s peak. Suicides have risen by nearly 23 percent since 2020.
Men continued to account for the majority of cases (7,846, or 69.2 percent), while women made up 3,488 deaths (30.8 percent). The increase was sharper among women (+17.9 percent) than among men (+5.8 percent). Nearly half of all suicides involved people aged 65 and older; deaths in this age group rose by 558 to 5,510.
Suicides accounted for 1.1 percent of all deaths in Germany in 2025. More people died by suicide than from traffic accidents, homicides and AIDS combined. Officials and prevention organisations also noted a continued rise in assisted suicides, which exceeded 1,200 cases according to major organisations.
Experts and prevention groups have described the 2025 total as a warning sign. After decades of gradual decline driven by better prevention, media guidelines, reduced access to highly lethal means and improved mental-health awareness, the recent upward trend has prompted renewed calls for a comprehensive, adequately funded national suicide-prevention law and stronger support services, particularly for older people and women.
Suicide Deaths in Germany, 1998–2025
| Year | Number of Suicides | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 11,644 | ||
| 1999 | 11,157 | ||
| 2000 | 11,065 | ||
| 2001 | 11,156 | ||
| 2002 | 11,163 | ||
| 2003 | 11,150 | ||
| 2004 | 10,733 | ||
| 2005 | 10,260 | ||
| 2006 | 9,765 | ||
| 2007 | 9,402 | ||
| 2008 | 9,451 | ||
| 2009 | 9,616 | ||
| 2010 | 10,021 | ||
| 2011 | 10,144 | ||
| 2012 | 9,890 | ||
| 2013 | 10,076 | ||
| 2014 | 10,209 | ||
| 2015 | 10,078 | ||
| 2016 | 9,838 | ||
| 2017 | 9,235 | ||
| 2018 | 9,396 | ||
| 2019 | 9,041 | ||
| 2020 | 9,206 | ||
| 2021 | 9,215 | ||
| 2022 | 10,119 | ||
| 2023 | 10,304 | ||
| 2024 | 10,372 | ||
| 2025 | 11,334 |
Data sources: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) and Statista (based on official causes-of-death statistics, ICD-10 X60–X84).
Figures for 2026 are not yet available.
The 1998 total of 11,644 remains the most recent higher figure. The lowest point in the modern series was 2019 (9,041). The post-2020 rise has erased much of the progress made in the preceding two decades.
Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress is urged to seek help immediately. In Germany, the Telefonseelsorge offers free, anonymous, round-the-clock support at 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222. International resources include local crisis lines and the IASP website (iasp.info).
