The number of suicides in Turkey has climbed 94 percent since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, with the sharpest increases recorded in recent years, according to a study based on government statistics.
The data, compiled by the Social Studies Institute using data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), found that 2,301 people died by suicide in 2002. By 2024, the figure had reached 4,460. The rate of suicides also rose, from 3.5 per 100,000 people to 5.2 during the same period.
Turkey’s population grew during this period, from about 66 million in 2002 to more than 85 million in 2024. But the 94 percent increase in suicides far outpaced the country’s roughly 29 percent population growth, underscoring that the rise cannot be explained by demographics alone.
While fluctuations were observed from year to year, researchers said the overall trend points upward. Notable jumps were seen in 2012 and 2019, but the past five years showed a steadier and faster increase. The acceleration since 2020 was particularly striking.
The increase coincided with a period of economic turbulence. In 2018 Turkey was hit by a severe currency crisis that triggered a deep recession, soaring inflation and rising unemployment. Many economists attribute the turmoil to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s unorthodox monetary policies, including his insistence on keeping interest rates low and exerting political control over the central bank. Structural vulnerabilities, such as heavy foreign-currency debt, and external pressures, including US sanctions and global financial tightening, further deepened the crisis.
Public health specialists have previously pointed to a combination of economic pressures, social challenges and limited access to mental health services as possible drivers of suicide rates in Turkey. The coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath also coincided with the latest period of acceleration.
The government has in recent years expanded hotlines and awareness campaigns aimed at suicide prevention, though advocates say more systemic investment in mental health care is needed.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide remains a major public health concern worldwide, with nearly 800,000 deaths each year. Turkey’s rates remain below the global average, but researchers say the upward trajectory is cause for concern.
