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Tragic figure: In Hungary, someone dies by suicide every six hours
For decades, the number of suicides in Hunagry was steadily declining. According to a recent warning issued by the Hungarian Medical Chamber (MOK), however, this trend has been broken, and over the past five years the country has seen a turnaround not witnessed since the 1980s.
MOK says that after four decades of decline, the downward trend stopped in 2019. Since then, the figures have started to worsen again.
The Chamber claims that Hungary now sees, on average, one suicide every six hours — a situation they describe as the most alarming since the 1980s.
Experts argue that the crisis cannot be explained by a single event. Beyond chronic underfunding, the mental healthcare system has been struggling with a long-term shortage of doctors and specialised staff.
One of the most striking examples is the Nyírő Gyula National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, where fifteen specialist doctors reportedly left within less than two years — a development that many see as a symptom of a broader system under strain.
Where does Hungary stand today in terms of mental health?
MOK’s statement does not focus only on psychiatric wards. It also points out that access to mental healthcare in general has not improved. Psychotherapy, for example, remains difficult to access, with long waiting lists — despite the fact that professional recommendations consistently describe it as one of the key elements of prevention.
Hungary’s suicide indicators have long ranked among the worst in the European Union. According to Eurostat data, Lithuania recorded the highest suicide death rate among EU member states in 2016, with Hungary close behind. In 2020, the same pattern emerged: Hungary had the second-highest suicide mortality rate in the EU, again after Lithuania.
Well this is truly shocking. Out countrymen dying needlessly every day in an increasing numbers. This is something that our country leadership should focus on. This is a national crisis. It would be interesting to know if Fidesz and Tisza had any policies/plans on improving mental health and suicide prevention services. Fidesz says that Hungary so much safer, better and above all a happier place to live that Western Europe but these rising suicide figures tell a totally different tragic story.