Cancer top cause of death in Taiwan in 2024, suicides on the rise

Taipei, June 16 (CNA) Cancer remained the leading cause of death in Taiwan for the 43rd consecutive year in 2024, and suicide returned to the top 10 for the first time in 14 years, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said Monday.

According to the MOHW, 54,032 people died from cancer in 2024, with lung, liver and colon cancer remaining the most fatal cancer types, while deaths by suicide increased by 164 to a total of 4,602, surpassing 4,000 for the first time and becoming the 10th most common cause of death.

In particular, MOHW data showed that suicide rates increased for those aged from 15 to 64 and decreased for other age groups, and an average of 17.4 out of 100,000 people died from suicide in 2024.

Li Chiu-yen (李秋嬿), who heads the MOHW's Department of Statistics, added that a drop in liver disease fatalities could have also caused suicides to rise in the rankings.

"Suicide is one of the greater challenges faced by, but not exclusive to, Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore," said Cheng Shu-hsin (鄭淑心), head of the Department of Mental Health under the MOHW.

She also explained research in Taiwan has shown that problems with internet usage, family relationships and sleep can contribute to teenage suicides, while adult suicides involve more complex factors and require further research for helpful interventions to be made.

Currently, the Department of Mental Health provides three free counseling sessions for those aged from 15 to 45, and more in-depth analyses will be needed to determine if the policy should include people from 46 to 64 years old, she said.

In total, 201,383 deaths in 2024 marked a 4,192 year-on-year decrease, or 2.3 percent fewer deaths, mainly due to a decline in fatalities from COVID-19 and diabetes, according to Lu Shu-chun (呂淑君), a section chief at the MOHW's Department of Statistics.

The other eight leading causes of death in 2024 were heart disease (second), pneumonia (third), cerebrovascular diseases (fourth), diabetes (fifth), high blood-pressure-related diseases (sixth), accidents (seventh), chronic lower respiratory diseases (eighth), and nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and other kidney diseases (ninth).

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts in Taiwan, please call the 1925, 1995, or 1980 hotlines for help.