Greece is not considered a major suicidal country. Greece was the country with the lowest suicide rate in Europe according to a research done by WHO in 2012.[1] Greek suicide rates are also among the lowest in the world, a fact that is attributed to various factors, such as the mentality of the Greek society and the climate of the country.
Suicides used to occur more frequently in earlier periods of Greek history, such as during the Greek Civil War of 1946, where many lost their relatives in the war.[2]
Some sources suggest that the number of suicides occurring in Greece may be underestimated. The act may be sometimes concealed by family members for religious or other social reasons.[3]
There are also cases, such as those of Dimitris Christoulas or the 45-year-old teacher Savvas Metoikidis, where their decisions were a form of protest to the current economic situation in Greece.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 381 |
| 2000 | 382 |
| 2001 | 334 |
| 2002 | 323 |
| 2003 | 375 |
| 2004 | 353 |
| 2005 | 400 |
| 2006 | 402 |
| 2007 | 328 |
| 2008 | 373 |
| 2009 | 391 |
| 2010 | 377 |
| 2011 | 477 |
| 2012 | 508 |
| 2013 | 533 |
| 2014 | 565 |
| 2015 | 529 |
| 2016 | 484 |
| 2017 | 465 |
| 2018 | 567 |
| 2019 | 530 |
- ^ Jakub, Marian. "Suicide rates by country in Europe".
- ^ "«Η αυτοκτονία δεν είναι θυσία» (Suicide is no self-sacrifice)". 23 April 2012.
- ^ "Ανακοίνωση της Εκκλησίας για την αυτοκτονία στο Σύνταγμα". Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^ Sources: Hellenic Statistical Authority for years 1999-2016, Hellenic Police' Division of Informatics for years 2017-2018