Hong Kong's under-15 suicide rate hits decade-high in 2025 amid academic year concerns

The suicide rate among under-15s in Hong Kong rose to a decade-high in 2025, going against a downward trend overall, with social media activity strongly predictive of cases among young people, according to research from a local university.

The Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong also used World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday to call for schools to ramp up support for students in light of a spate of suicide attempts around the start of the academic year.

“As we pursue academic excellence, we should also look after the mental health of young people,” said Paul Yip Siu-fai, the centre’s founding director.

“It’s been just a while since the school year started, and we have already seen a few student suicides. Here I would like to call on schools to give pupils more time and space to build rapport with their teachers and schoolmates, strengthening their support system.”

Using data provided by the Coroner’s Court, the centre estimated that there were 976 suicide cases, or 13 per 100,000 residents, last year – a slight decline from 2024.

But while levels declined across nearly all age groups, the rate rose among under-15s to 2.9 per 100,000, the highest since 2016.