Suicide Trends in Norway: Insights from FHI

Main points

• Approximately 700 individuals in Norway take their own lives each year, with a striking three out of four being men.
• While the suicide rate per 100,000 has seen a slight decline since 1990, it remains elevated compared to the figures from the 1950s and 60s.
• The median age for suicide stands at 47 years, indicating that half of those who die by suicide are younger, and half are older than this age.
• Every year, around 7,000 survivors and close relatives are profoundly impacted by suicide.
• The incidence of suicide in Norway aligns closely with patterns observed in other Nordic countries.

Understanding Suicide, Attempts, and Self-Harm

Suicide represents a tragic outcome of a self-inflicted injury, pursued with the intent to end one’s life.

However, it’s crucial to differentiate between suicide attempts and self-harm:

• A suicide attempt involves a desire to die, though the intensity of that desire can vary.
• Self-harm, on the other hand, may not necessarily stem from a wish to die; rather, it often serves as a coping mechanism to manage overwhelming thoughts or emotions (Øverland, 2006).

Current Suicide Trends in Norway

In 2024, Norway recorded 739 suicides—543 among men and 196 among women (FHI, 2025). This figure slightly exceeds that of the preceding year but falls within the expected range of random annual fluctuations. The final statistics from the Cause of Death Register were published in October 2025.

Historical Context

Between 1970 and 1990, the risk of suicide doubled before experiencing a downturn. This increase was most pronounced among young men aged 15 to 24. As of 2024, the suicide rate was reported at 13.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, marking a 19 percent decline from 1990, when the rate stood at 16.4 per 100,000 (FHI, 2024). However, there has been a notable uptick in the age-standardized suicide rate from 2010 to 2019 (Raknes & Sveen, 2022). The 2024 rate represents the highest mortality figure since 1999.

The significant reduction observed since 1990 can primarily be attributed to a decrease in suicides among men. For women, a decline occurred until around 1995, after which the rates have stabilized. Men’s rates have continued to decline but have plateaued in recent years. Despite being lower than in the 1990s, current figures remain substantially elevated compared to pre-1960 levels.

The gender disparity in suicide rates over the past two decades has shown some variability; however, in 2024, men accounted for three times the number of suicides compared to women. See Figure 1.

Between 2015 and 2019, suicide rates among women were slightly higher; nonetheless, the fluctuations observed fall within the bounds of statistical variation. As of 2024, the suicide rate for women aligns closely with the averages from 2015-2019, consistent divergence from year to year can be expected.

The methods individuals choose to end their lives have evolved over time. For men, hanging and strangulation are the predominant methods, followed by firearms, the latter having seen a notable decline in usage over the past two decades. Among women, poisoning is nearly as prevalent as hanging or suffocation, as indicated by the Statistics Bank of the Cause of Death Register.

Suicide Across Age Groups

In 2016, the median age for suicide was identified as 47 years (FHI, 2017).

Suicide rates consistently surpass those of women across all age brackets, except for the very young. See Figure 2.

• Suicide rates remain very low for the youngest cohort (0-14 years).
• In the 25-74 age demographic, men experience about 22 suicides per 100,000 annually, while the rate for women is approximately 9 per 100,000.
• The disparity in suicide rates between genders becomes more pronounced among the elderly.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2021)

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic raised pressing concerns regarding the potential adverse effects of societal lockdowns and social isolation on mental health and suicide risk.

Analysis based on data from the Cause of Death Register indicates that there was no increase in suicide incidence across any age group in 2020, and the incidence did not rise during periods of stringent restrictions (Stene-Larsen et al., 2022).

Geographical Variations

In many counties, populations are small, resulting in few suicides. This limited data can lead to significant annual variations, with just a handful of cases influencing the overall statistics. Consequently, the uncertainty surrounding suicide rates in individual counties can complicate assessments of whether a specific area experiences higher or lower suicide rates compared to national averages.

International Comparisons

Between 1969 and 2000, there existed notable discrepancies in suicide rates among the Nordic nations; however, today, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland share similar rates, hovering around 12 per 100,000. In comparison to Europe, Norway’s suicide rates are somewhat elevated, similar to those seen in Australia and lower than those in North America. As of 2021, the average suicide rate across Europe stood at 10.2 per 100,000 for both sexes combined (Eurostat, 2024). It is important to note that gender differences in suicide rates are more pronounced in Europe than in Norway, with lower figures for women and higher rates for men overall.

In regions such as Eastern Europe, as well as countries like Russia, China, and Japan, reliable statistics reflect significantly higher suicide rates, ranging from 20 to 30 per 100,000 inhabitants annually (Varnik, 2012). Additionally, these areas typically exhibit elevated suicide rates among men compared to women.

Effects on Survivors

The ramifications of suicide extend far beyond the individual, leaving profound scars on families and communities. If we account for an estimated ten survivors affected by each suicide, roughly 7,000 new survivors face this reality in Norway each year.

Numerous studies highlight an increased incidence of post-traumatic stress reactions, prolonged grief, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or attempts among those who have lost someone to suicide (Dyregrov, 2003; Groot, 2006; Pfeffer, 1997). Similar psychological and physical challenges have been documented in survivors of other sudden deaths (Li, 2003), but survivors of suicide often confront unique feelings of rejection, shame, and stigma, coupled with a need to conceal their grief (Sveen, 2008). Consequently, there is a heightened demand for follow-up care from health services post-loss, as research in Norway has indicated that this need can persist for a considerable period (Belanger, 2024).