380 suicides a day in China: the figure that unsettles
138,622 suicides in China in 2015: 380 a day. The rate is 10 per 100,000 inhabitants, higher than Spain's (8.1). Skepticism about the data...
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
China records 380 suicides a day: rate higher than in Spain
A striking figure is circulating: 380 people die by suicide every day in China, adding up to 138,622 in 2015 according to Datosmacro data. In raw terms the number is chilling, but it looks different when you examine the rate per capita: 10.02 per 100,000 inhabitants. For context, in Spain the rate is 8.1 per 100,000 (2015), which works out at about 15 suicides a day. In other words, proportionally the phenomenon is more serious in Spain than in China, even though China's absolute total draws more attention.
Why do Chinese people die by suicide? The typical causes
Among the causes cited, poverty, illness and old age stand out. A profile that fits rural areas and the elderly population, where the social safety net is more fragile. However, skepticism about the official Chinese figures lingers: some point out that the government gilds the data, as happens with "accidental falls". The comparison with Spain offers no relief: there the rate is higher despite a more developed health and welfare system, which raises the question of whether Spanish records are reliable or whether social stigma in China leads to underreporting.
The demographic factor: 1.4 billion people
With a population of 1.4 billion, 380 people taking their own lives each day seems small in relative terms, but it remains a public health crisis. The female suicide rate in China (11.4 per 100,000) is higher than the male rate (8.75), the opposite of the West. This could be due to social pressure in rural areas, gender violence or unequal access to mental health care. Without more detailed and independently verified data, any analysis is on shifting sands.
The provisional conclusion: the figure of 380 suicides a day is real according to official sources, but interpreting it requires context. While China debates the reliability of its statistics, Spain cannot look the other way: its rate is higher. The question that remains is how many suicides go uncounted in both countries.
A striking figure is circulating: 380 people die by suicide every day in China, adding up to 138,622 in 2015 according to Datosmacro data. In raw terms the number is chilling, but it looks different when you examine the rate per capita: 10.02 per 100,000 inhabitants. For context, in Spain the rate is 8.1 per 100,000 (2015), which works out at about 15 suicides a day. In other words, proportionally the phenomenon is more serious in Spain than in China, even though China's absolute total draws more attention.
Why do Chinese people die by suicide? The typical causes
Among the causes cited, poverty, illness and old age stand out. A profile that fits rural areas and the elderly population, where the social safety net is more fragile. However, skepticism about the official Chinese figures lingers: some point out that the government gilds the data, as happens with "accidental falls". The comparison with Spain offers no relief: there the rate is higher despite a more developed health and welfare system, which raises the question of whether Spanish records are reliable or whether social stigma in China leads to underreporting.
The demographic factor: 1.4 billion people
With a population of 1.4 billion, 380 people taking their own lives each day seems small in relative terms, but it remains a public health crisis. The female suicide rate in China (11.4 per 100,000) is higher than the male rate (8.75), the opposite of the West. This could be due to social pressure in rural areas, gender violence or unequal access to mental health care. Without more detailed and independently verified data, any analysis is on shifting sands.
The provisional conclusion: the figure of 380 suicides a day is real according to official sources, but interpreting it requires context. While China debates the reliability of its statistics, Spain cannot look the other way: its rate is higher. The question that remains is how many suicides go uncounted in both countries.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (13 replies).
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