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Youth Suicide Risk Intensifies in Argentina and Spain, Latest Data Show

Experts say open, careful talk with young people is central to prevention.

Overview

  • Argentina recorded 4,249 suicide deaths in 2024, a continued rise since 2017 after a brief dip through 2020, with suicides again exceeding road-traffic fatalities.
  • Clinicians in Argentina report the sharpest increases among adolescents and young adults, with attempts rising notably in those roughly 15 to 25 years old.
  • Provisional 2024 figures from Spain’s INE show youth deaths increased 20% among 15–19-year-olds and 8% among 20–24-year-olds, even as the overall national total edged down.
  • A study by Universidad Rey Juan Carlos with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya reports 15.7% of Spanish adolescents aged 14–17 say they have attempted suicide.
  • Practitioners highlight asking directly and listening as effective prevention, note emergency visits for suicidal thoughts outpacing attempts in Catalonia, and point to social stressors and fresh scrutiny of technology following a U.S. complaint alleging AI involvement.