Institute: Intentional self-harm growing among Estonian youth
While the total number of injuries fell by 7 percent compared with the previous year, cases of intentional self-harm are on the rise, particularly among young people.
Statistics published by the National Institute for Health Development (TAI) show that injuries were most common among children aged 5–14, with around 31,000 cases, and young people aged 15–24, with around 23,000 cases. As in previous years, falls were the leading cause of injury, accounting for 42 percent of all cases.
Over the past decade, the total number of injury cases has fallen by 11 percent. Just over 161,000 injury cases were registered in Estonia last year and nearly 142,000 people required medical treatment. Intentional self-harm, however, is increasing: In 2025, more than 2,100 injury cases involving intentional self-harm were recorded, 38 percent more than in 2016.
"Intentional self-harm refers to an injury or poisoning that a person has inflicted on themselves with the deliberate aim of causing harm. The statistics only include injuries for which medical care was sought. As a result, the actual number of cases may be considerably higher as not all cases come to the attention of the healthcare system," explained TAI data analyst Kaisa Usberg.
Intentional self-harm has increased particularly rapidly among younger age groups over the past decade. Among children aged 5–14, the number of cases has more than tripled, rising by 112 cases, while among those aged 15–24 it has doubled, increasing by 334 cases. Cases of intentional self-harm among 15–24-year-olds have risen markedly since 2020.
Although intentional self-harm occurs at almost equal rates among men and women overall, accounting for 50.5 percent and 49.5 percent of cases respectively, clear differences emerge at younger ages. Girls account for as many as 79 percent of cases among children aged 5–14 and 65 percent among those aged 15–24.
Last year, intentional self-harm involving alcohol accounted for 53 percent of all intentional self-harm cases among men and 29 percent among women. Among 15–24-year-olds, such cases occurred at nearly equal rates between the sexes, but in older age groups alcohol-related self-harm was significantly more common among men.
A total of 811 fatal injuries were recorded last year, 12 percent fewer than a year earlier. In nearly three-quarters of cases, the person who died from their injuries was male.
The number of suicides remained stable, with 179 recorded in 2025. Suicides were significantly more common among men, who accounted for 83 percent of all suicide cases that year.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Marcus Turovski
