Suicides in Japan post 2011 tsunami rose over 21%
Irish Sun Friday 9th March, 2012
• Suicides jumped 21.2 per cent to 3,375 in May 2011 as compared to same month in previous year
• Suicides followed rise in corporate bankruptcies, drop in exports in April and May
• Suicides were more among people in 30s, who were hit badly by tsunami devastation
TOKYO - Economic hardship in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami led to over 21 per cent spike in the number of suicides in May last year in Japan, particularly among people in their 30s, a police survey report released Friday showed.
The number of suicides in May jumped 21.2 per cent to 3,375 as compared with the same month in 2010, after staying at relatively low levels through March, according to the National Police Agency.
The survey of the aftermath impact of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan on March 11, 2011, causing a tsunami which swamped a stretch of coastline more than 500km long, was more than imagined. The emotional and economic impact lingers on.
Based on a survey of post-earthquake economic conditions, the Cabinet Office has found a clear link between increased corporate bankruptcies and drop in exports in April and May, and the sharp rise in suicides in May.
There was a sharp increase around May in the number of suicides among people in their 30s who may have been hit particularly hard by economic problems linked to the quake, the Cabinet Office said.
The number of people who are believed to have killed themselves for economic reasons also rose notably around that time, it said.
Page 1 of 3 | Next
Comments