Thanks to measures put in place by the Hungarian government the number of suicides has fallen by 35 percent since 2010.
State secretary of the ministry of human resources, Bence Rétvári told MTI that this is partly down to the development of the healthcare system, which has become more efficient at recognizing and managing high-risk cases, and partly to economic recovery, which reduces the number of people facing hopelessness.
Rétvári said that more than 2,490 people took their own lives in 2010, but this figure fell to just over 1,630 in 2017. The biggest fall took place among people aged between 40 and 49 years, which classifies as outstanding by international standards as well, he added.
The state secretary said the pace of decrease well exceeds both the average of OECD states and that of the Visegrad Four countries.
What’s more, he added that the economic recovery that started in 2010, growing employment, rising wages and the improving financial position of families, Hungarians now have a better outlook for the future, which has a positive impact on the number of suicides.
Eurostat figures show that the ratio of those at risk of poverty or social exclusion has fallen significantly in all types of households compared to 2010. The secretary noted that greater financial and social security also helps prevent situations leading to suicide.