James Evans MS has called for urgent action from the Welsh Government after new figures revealed that male suicide rates in Wales are now the highest since records began and the worst in the UK.
New analysis from the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys, based on the latest Office for National Statistics data, shows that 337 Welsh men died by suicide in 2024, the highest number ever recorded. The male suicide rate in Wales is now the highest of any UK nation, and the highest since records began in 1981. Men account for 77% of all suicides in Wales, and suicide is now the biggest killer of men under 50.
Since 2000, more than 6,200 Welsh men have died by suicide. The figures also show that overall male mortality in Wales remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. The report warns that despite these trends, Wales still does not have a dedicated Men’s Health Strategy or a male-specific suicide prevention plan.
James Evans MS says the scale of the crisis demands a far more focused and targeted response, including the development of a Men’s Health Strategy for Wales and a dedicated Male Suicide Prevention Strategy or Taskforce.
James Evans MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said:
“These figures are devastating. 337 men lost in a single year, the highest number ever recorded, and the highest suicide rate since records began. This is not a blip, it is a crisis. Men now account for more than three quarters of all suicides in Wales, and suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50. That should stop every policymaker in their tracks.
“For too long, we have failed to confront the reality that men are dying in huge numbers, often in silence, and often without ever accessing support. Wales has a Women’s Health Plan, but no Men’s Health Strategy, and no specific male suicide prevention plan. That gap is now impossible to justify.
“We need a Men’s Health Strategy for Wales and a dedicated, targeted approach to male suicide prevention. If we are serious about saving lives, we must stop treating these figures as background noise and start responding with urgency, focus and honesty.”
