Suicide Rate in Africa
Africa shows wide differences in suicide rates, with some countries reporting much higher suicide mortality than others. This page ranks African countries by suicide deaths per 100,000 people using the latest available data.
The ranking helps compare where suicide rates are highest and lowest across Africa, from Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa at the top to Egypt, Sao Tome and Principe, and Tunisia near the bottom.
See Also:
Suicide Rate in Africa Rankings
| # | Country | Suicide Rate (Per 100K) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇱🇸Lesotho |
20.8 | 11 | Africa |
| 2 | 🇸🇿Eswatini |
17.03 | 21 | Africa |
| 3 | 🇿🇦South Africa |
15.49 | 27 | Africa |
| 4 | 🇪🇷Eritrea |
15.2 | 32 | Africa |
| 5 | 🇨🇻Cape Verde |
13.2 | 45 | Africa |
| 6 | 🇳🇦Namibia |
12.95 | 48 | Africa |
| 7 | 🇬🇦Gabon |
12.94 | 49 | Africa |
| 8 | 🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea |
11.45 | 64 | Africa |
| 9 | 🇲🇼Malawi |
11.2 | 65 | Africa |
| 10 | 🇿🇲Zambia |
11.15 | 66 | Africa |
| 11 | 🇨🇫Central African Republic |
11.12 | 67 | Africa |
| 12 | 🇩🇯Djibouti |
11.03 | 69 | Africa |
| 13 | 🇲🇺Mauritius |
10.79 | 72 | Africa |
| 14 | 🇸🇸South Sudan |
10.73 | 73 | Africa |
| 15 | 🇧🇼Botswana |
10.69 | 74 | Africa |
| 16 | 🇨🇩DR Congo |
10.23 | 78 | Africa |
| 17 | 🇲🇬Madagascar |
9.96 | 80 | Africa |
| 18 | 🇸🇱Sierra Leone |
9.91 | 81 | Africa |
| 19 | 🇧🇮Burundi |
9.82 | 82 | Africa |
| 20 | 🇷🇼Rwanda |
9.67 | 84 | Africa |
| 21 | 🇨🇬Congo |
9.64 | 86 | Africa |
| 22 | 🇬🇭Ghana |
9.32 | 91 | Africa |
| 23 | 🇨🇲Cameroon |
9.3 | 93 | Africa |
| 24 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia |
8.98 | 95 | Africa |
| 25 | 🇰🇪Kenya |
8.93 | 97 | Africa |
| 26 | 🇦🇴Angola |
8.87 | 98 | Africa |
| 27 | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast |
8.54 | 104 | Africa |
| 28 | 🇱🇷Liberia |
8.52 | 105 | Africa |
| 29 | 🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau |
8.33 | 110 | Africa |
| 30 | 🇹🇩Chad |
8.22 | 111 | Africa |
| 31 | 🇸🇨Seychelles |
7.86 | 116 | Africa |
| 32 | 🇹🇬Togo |
7.78 | 117 | Africa |
| 33 | 🇺🇬Uganda |
7.73 | 118 | Africa |
| 34 | 🇸🇴Somalia |
7.62 | 120 | Africa |
| 35 | 🇧🇯Benin |
7.2 | 126 | Africa |
| 36 | 🇬🇳Guinea |
6.86 | 129 | Africa |
| 37 | 🇰🇲Comoros |
6.76 | 131 | Africa |
| 38 | 🇸🇳Senegal |
6.48 | 133 | Africa |
| 39 | 🇧🇫Burkina Faso |
6.38 | 135 | Africa |
| 40 | 🇹🇿Tanzania |
6.08 | 140 | Africa |
| 41 | 🇲🇷Mauritania |
6.01 | 142 | Africa |
| 42 | 🇬🇲Gambia |
5.82 | 144 | Africa |
| 43 | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe |
5.69 | 145 | Africa |
| 44 | 🇳🇪Niger |
5.61 | 146 | Africa |
| 45 | 🇲🇿Mozambique |
5.34 | 151 | Africa |
| 46 | 🇲🇱Mali |
5.16 | 153 | Africa |
| 47 | 🇱🇾Libya |
4.45 | 166 | Africa |
| 48 | 🇸🇩Sudan |
3.97 | 173 | Africa |
| 49 | 🇲🇦Morocco |
3.83 | 176 | Africa |
| 50 | 🇩🇿Algeria |
3.57 | 180 | Africa |
| 51 | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
3.07 | 185 | Africa |
| 52 | 🇹🇳Tunisia |
2.44 | 193 | Africa |
| 53 | 🇸🇹Sao Tome and Principe |
1.75 | 197 | Africa |
| 54 | 🇪🇬Egypt |
0.87 | 203 | Africa |
Key Findings
Lesotho Has the Highest Suicide Rate in Africa
- Lesotho ranks #1 in Africa with a suicide rate of 20.8 deaths per 100,000 people.
- It is followed by Eswatini (17.03), South Africa (15.49), Eritrea (15.2), and Cape Verde (13.2).
Southern Africa Includes Several High-Ranking Countries
- Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Malawi all appear in the upper part of Africa’s suicide rate ranking.
- This shows that suicide mortality remains a serious public health issue in parts of Southern Africa.
Middle-Ranking Countries Show Similar Rates
- Many African countries fall between 7 and 11 deaths per 100,000 people, including Ghana (9.32), Kenya (8.93), Ivory Coast (8.54), and Uganda (7.73).
- This shows that several countries have moderate but still important suicide mortality levels.
North African Countries Record Many of the Lowest Rates
- The lowest suicide rates in Africa are found in Egypt (0.87), Sao Tome and Principe (1.75), Tunisia (2.44), Nigeria (3.07), and Algeria (3.57).
- Low reported rates may reflect social, cultural, religious, reporting, and public health factors depending on the country.
Africa Has a Very Wide Regional Gap
- Africa’s suicide rate ranges from 20.8 per 100K in Lesotho to 0.87 per 100K in Egypt.
- This large difference shows how suicide mortality can vary sharply across countries within the same continent.
About Suicide Rate in Africa
Suicide rate in Africa measures the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 people in each African country. This makes it easier to compare countries of very different population sizes because the ranking is based on a population-adjusted rate rather than total suicide deaths.
In this dataset, Africa shows a wide gap between the highest and lowest suicide rates. Countries such as Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa, and Eritrea rank near the top of the continent, while Egypt, Sao Tome and Principe, Tunisia, and Nigeria are among the lowest. Southern African countries are especially visible near the upper end of the ranking, while several North African countries report much lower suicide rates.
Suicide data should be interpreted carefully because national rates can be influenced by mental health support, economic stress, social conditions, stigma, cultural and religious factors, healthcare access, death registration systems, and reporting quality. For that reason, this Africa ranking is best used as a comparative overview of suicide mortality rather than a complete explanation of mental health conditions in each country.
Definitions & Methodology
What does suicide rate in Africa measure?
Suicide rate in Africa measures the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 people in each African country. The main ranking is based on the overall rate for both sexes combined.
How are African countries ranked?
Countries are ranked from highest to lowest by suicide deaths per 100,000 people. A higher value means a higher reported suicide mortality rate.
What unit is used?
All values are shown as deaths per 100,000 people. For example, a rate of 20.8 means 20.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 people.
Why should suicide data be interpreted carefully?
Reported suicide rates can be affected by data quality, death registration systems, stigma, cultural factors, healthcare access, and how deaths are classified in each country.
Suicide Rate in Africa FAQs
Which country has the highest suicide rate in Africa?
Lesotho has the highest suicide rate in Africa in this dataset at 20.8 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Eswatini, South Africa, Eritrea, and Cape Verde.
Which country has the lowest suicide rate in Africa?
Egypt has the lowest suicide rate in Africa in this dataset at 0.87 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Sao Tome and Principe, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Algeria.
Which African countries rank highest globally for suicide rate?
Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa, Eritrea, Cape Verde, Namibia, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea are among the highest-ranking African countries in this dataset.
Why do suicide rates vary across Africa?
Suicide rates vary because mental health systems, economic conditions, social support, cultural factors, reporting quality, healthcare access, and public health policies differ across countries.
How is suicide rate in Africa measured?
Suicide rate in Africa is measured as the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 people in each country, allowing countries with different population sizes to be compared on the same scale.