Suicide in Kazakhstan is a very common cause of unnatural death in the country and a long term social issue. According to the 2011 report of World Health Organization, of all the people reported dead due to suicide worldwide every year, 3.23% belong to Kazakhstan.[1] Suicide of teenaged and young aged people is a big issue in the country. In the age group of 15-49 year olds, suicide makes up for 12.2% of all deaths in Kazakhstan.[2]
The country has highest number of recorded suicides among girls aged 15 to 19, and for boys, it is the second highest after Russia. A UNICEF report of 2009 shows, between 1999 and 2008 the number of suicides among young people of the country increased by 23%.[3]
According to Raisa Sher, head of the country's education ministry's child protection committee, there are several factors behind such high rates of suicide among people of a young age, such as:
| Age (years) | 5-14 | 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-54 | 55-74 | 75+ | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 85 | 896 | 1012 | 1395 | 476 | 133 | 4009 | |
| 2015 | 43 | 439 | 711 | 1137 | 428 | 114 | 2872 | |
| Change | -49.4% | -51.0% | -29.7% | -18.5% | -10.1% | -14.3% | -28.4% | |
| Number of suicides by age group and gender. Kazakhstan, 2008 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 5–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–44 | 45–54 | 55–64 | 65–74 | 75+ | All | |
| Males | 66 | 657 | 860 | 656 | 522 | 240 | 143 | 86 | 3241 | |
| Females | 19 | 239 | 152 | 120 | 97 | 52 | 41 | 47 | 768 | |
| Total | 85 | 896 | 1012 | 776 | 619 | 292 | 184 | 133 | 4009 | |
According to UNICEF and World Health Organization data, Kazakhstan has the highest suicide level among people aged 15 to 19 in the world.[4] Kazakhstan was 2nd worldwide for suicide among teenage boys, and 1st among suicide for teenage girls.
According to a UNICEF study conducted in five Kazakhstani cities with 1700 teenagers, social issues, family problems and a lack of support were among the main reasons for teenage suicide. According to the study, Kazakhstani parents spend only 20 minutes of 'quality time' with their children a day.[5]