HAI: Self-harm cases among young people increasing in Estonia

According to the Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre (HAI), over 2,100 cases of intentional self-harm were registered in Estonia in 2025, which is 38% more than in 2016. The growth among children and young people is particularly concerning, with cases in some age groups more than doubling over ten years. Overall injury numbers declined by 7% year-on-year, but the self-harm trend is moving in the opposite direction.

The Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre (HAI) released injury statistics for 2024, according to which Estonia registered just over 161,000 injury cases in total, with nearly 142,000 people requiring medical care. The overall number of injuries declined by 7% compared to the previous year, and over a ten-year period it has decreased by 11%. However, the statistics highlight one concerning trend: the number of intentional self-harm cases continues to grow.

Young people most affected

The most injuries were registered in the 5-14-year-old age group (approximately 31,000 cases) and the 15-24-year-old age group (approximately 23,000 cases). The most common external cause of injury was falls, which accounted for 42% of all injuries.

In terms of intentional self-harm, the growth over the past ten years has been fastest among children and young people. In the 5-14-year-old age group, the number of such cases has increased more than threefold, with 112 additional episodes recorded. Among young people aged 15-24, the number of cases has more than doubled, increasing by 334 cases. In this age group, a notable rise has begun since 2020.

Gender differences are significant

HAI data analyst Kaisa Usberg explained what the statistics actually reflect: "Intentional self-harm refers to an injury or poisoning that a person has deliberately inflicted on themselves with the intention of harming themselves. The statistics account only for cases where someone sought help at a healthcare institution. For this reason, the actual number of cases may be significantly larger, since not all cases come to the attention of the healthcare system."

Overall, intentional self-harm is distributed almost equally between men and women, at 50.5% and 49.5% respectively. However, in younger age groups, gender differences are much more clearly pronounced. Among 5-14-year-olds, girls account for 79% of all registered cases, and in the 15-24-year-old age group, 65%.

Alcohol and suicide

In 2025, alcohol-related self-harm cases accounted for 53% of all such episodes among men and 29% among women. In the 15-24-year-old age group, the proportion of alcohol-related cases was similar for men and women, but in older age groups, the share of alcohol in self-harm cases increased notably, especially among men.

In 2025, 811 fatal injuries were registered, which is 12% fewer than the previous year. Nearly three-quarters of fatal cases involved men. The number of suicides remained stable, with 179 suicides registered in 2025. There is also a large gender gap in suicides: men accounted for 83% of all suicide cases.