Suicide mortality has decreased in Catalonia for the third consecutive year, while the number of attempts treated by emergency services also shows a reduction, for the first time in recent years. The Department of Health is preparing a second plan to strengthen prevention and early detection.
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Last year, 556 deaths from suicide or self-harm were recorded in Catalonia, according to provisional data from the INE, representing a standardized rate of 7.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, 1.5 points below the 9.3 rate recorded in 2022.
According to the Department of Health, the downward trend coincides with the deployment of the first Suicide Prevention Plan of Catalonia 2021-2025 (Plapresc), which “has progressively strengthened the country’s capacity to prevent, detect early, and respond to suicidal behaviors.”
During this period, the Generalitat has promoted more than 150 actions in the health, social, educational, university, interior, justice, labor, feminism, and community sectors. It is preparing the implementation of a second Plan aimed at strengthening prevention and early detection.
75% of deaths correspond to men; the most affected age group is those over 85 years old
75% (413) of the 556 deaths registered in 2025 correspond to men, who continue to show a clearly higher suicide mortality than women (143). The most affected demographic group is men over 85 years old. Among women, the 50 to 59 age group (39 suicides) has the highest mortality rate.
The decrease in the suicide rate is not homogeneous across all population groups, according to Health. There is an increase in the segment of men aged 55 to 74 and women aged between 40 and 59, a circumstance that “reinforces the need to continue identifying the highest-risk groups and adapting preventive strategies to them.
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For the first time in years, in 2025 the attempt rate in Catalonia decreased, with a 7% reduction compared to the previous year. At the same time, the number of people treated for suicidal ideation before an attempt increased by 17%. “This increase in consultations for suicidal ideation indicates a greater capacity to identify risk situations and offer more opportunities to intervene early and prevent the situation from progressing,” Health assesses.
The Department highlights as one of the most relevant actions of Plapresc the creation, in June 2022, of a specific mental health area within the 061 phone service that offers specialized care permanently both to people with suicidal behavior and to relatives and professionals.
The Department of Health attributes the reduction in mortality to the implementation of the Plapresc prevention plan
Until last June, this area has handled 77,024 consultations, 1.6% of the total calls answered by 061. The prevalent age group is 20 to 29 years, and only in 4% of cases was ambulance activation required. In 2025, this phone line managed more than 16,000 consultations, averaging 52 per day.
“The reduction in mortality observed over the last three years is a positive development, but it does not change the underlying goal,” Health points out: “To continue reducing preventable deaths by suicide and ensure that people in distress can find help before the crisis progresses.”
