Singapore's preliminary suicide toll at 314: Why Singapore's quiet crisis is louder than it seems

Independent Singapore

4 days ago

SINGAPORE: A total of 314 suicides were reported in Singapore in 2024, with the sharpest increase observed among adults aged 30 to 39.
For the sixth consecutive year, suicide remained the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 29, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) Registration of Births and Deaths Report 2024, published in July.
Of the 314 reported deaths, 64.3%—202 cases—were male, continuing male predominance in suicide statistics. The number of adults aged 30 to 39 who died by suicide surged from 43 in 2023 to 75 in 2024.
Singapore's suicide rate now stands at 5.91 per 100,000 residents, based on provisional findings.
These figures are not yet finalised. ICA's provisional suicide figure for 2023 was initially reported as 322 but was later revised to 434—an alarming 34.8 per cent increase.
Online, netizens were swift to express concern. One wrote:
'Unsurprising to anyone watching what's going on in the world and our country. See also Woman suspected of attempting suicide at MRT station gets arrested
Youth unemployment, rental spikes, hustle culture…
It's a [bad] place for many people right now unless you're shielded by privilege or ignorance, or are extremely resilient.
And they're surprised why we're choosing to have fewer to no kids…'
His comment was widely upvoted, striking a chord with many.
The numbers seem to support the sentiment. According to the Joint Graduate Employment Survey for the class of 2024, 12.9% of fresh graduates remained unemployed six months after graduation , up from 10.4% in the previous year. A preliminary Ministry of Manpower (MOM) study reported that employment among 2025 graduates as of June stood at 51.9% , a modest rise from 47.9% in June the previous year.
It is not uncommon for job seekers to send out over a hundred applications before landing a full-time role.
'To our 2025 graduates, it is still early in your job search,' said Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng. 'We encourage everyone to keep an open mind to different opportunities in their job searches.'
However, the issue may run deeper than patience and perspective.
Several labour market observers point to the rise of AI eliminating backend roles , and global turbulence due to conflict and recession fears, which have made the entry-level job landscape more volatile. In parallel, Singaporeans have been grappling with a steep rise in the cost of living and rent .
A 2024 study found that 85% of renters in Singapore feel prices for accommodation are too high . In commercial and retail sectors, some tenants reported rental hikes of up to 57% , squeezing small businesses out of the market and deterring new ventures.
Overlay this with Singapore's deeply ingrained hustle culture —with citizens averaging 44.6 work hours a week, among the highest globally—and the picture becomes starker. Chronic sleep deprivation has even been labelled a public health crisis by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Only one in four people gets more than seven hours of sleep daily, and only 17% of respondents sleep through the night. See also Late K-pop stars' Instagram accounts become memorialised
Another netizen offered a more reflective take:
'And it hurts when you know at least 1 in that 314.'
To their friends and families, they were a beloved child, parent, best friend, or companion.
To the policeman picking up the body, they are an indelible mark in their career. Probably not the first, but always hoping it's the last.
However, to the rest of society? They are just 1 in 314. A statistic. Nameless. Faceless.
Let's learn to look out for one another. There is no 'weak' when it comes to reaching out for help. There is no 'overreacting' when you refer someone for help.
The statistics may be provisional, but the grief, the fatigue, and the growing pressure on the social fabric—they are real.
Singapore's quiet crisis isn't so quiet anymore. The question is whether we are listening.