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Our report on the cost of suicide in the UK shows the need for Government investment in suicide prevention.
Every death by suicide is a tragedy. It’s been estimated that 135 people are affected every time someone takes their life. Suicide affects the whole of society – reaching families, communities, employment, health care, coroners and more.
We worked with David McDaid (Associate Professorial Research Fellow at the London School of Economics) to work out how much suicide costs to society. These are the first figures published on the cost of suicide in over a decade.
In the UK in 2022:
6588
deaths by suicide were recorded
£9.58 billion
Suicide had an overall cost of at least £9.58 billion
£1.46 million
Each death by suicide cost an average of £1.46 million
These figures demonstrate why suicide prevention is a worthwhile investment. Governments have a specific and crucial role to play in preventing suicide and the society-wide costs caused by suicide, and it’s important that money, resources and activities are in place to target suicide prevention.
Read our blog to find out more about the cost of suicide and why governments must invest in suicide prevention.
Read our report to find out more about the facts and figures on the cost of suicide in the UK, with a focus on England.