Suicide and Suicide Prevention – Annual Report 2025

-Automatic translation

It is worth noting that the nation's small population means minor changes in numbers can cause fluctuations in the mortality rate between years. Therefore, it is important not to interpret the figures for a single year as evidence of an increase or decrease in the suicide rate, but rather to consider a more extended period. Looking at the last five years, from 2020 to 2024, there was an average of 42.8 suicides per year, or 11.5 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Interactive Dashboard and Data Processing

Official statistics on suicide are based on information recorded on the death certificates of individuals legally residing in Iceland at the time of death, which are registered in the Directorate of Health's Cause of Death Registry. The number of suicides includes deaths where the underlying cause of death on the death certificate is recorded as intentional self-harm (ICD-10 codes: X60-X84).

Detailed figures on suicide can be found on the Directorate of Health's website, both in tables and on an interactive dashboard.

Suicide Prevention Annual Report 2025

Lífbrú – Centre for Suicide Prevention, oversees suicide prevention initiatives in Iceland. Lífbrú encourages cooperation among local professionals and partners internationally on prevention efforts.

A new action plan to reduce suicides in Iceland was published in March of this year. The plan is organized into seven chapters containing 26 key actions. The progress of these actions can be tracked on an interactive dashboard, available on both the Directorate of Health's website and the Government of Iceland's website.

Lífbrú has now published its annual report for 2025. The purpose of the report is to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of suicide prevention across the country over the past year. The report highlights the main projects, collaborations, and achievements in the field of suicide prevention.

More information
Guðrún Jóna Guðlaugsdóttir, project manager, gudrun.j.gudlaugsdottir@landlaeknir.is
Kjartan Hreinn Njálsson, assistant to the Medical Director of Health, kjartan.h.njalsson@landlaeknir.is