Living Cost Pressure Becomes Number One Risk to Suicide Rates for Australians

Pedestrians and shoppers make their way through the central business district in Sydney, Australia, on July 17, 2022. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The surging cost of living and personal debt has emerged as the number one risk to suicide rates in Australia as the country’s central bank has announced another round of interest rate hikes.

According to Suicide Prevention Australia’s annual State of the Nation report, living costs and debt had surpassed social issues such as drugs, loneliness and family breakdown as the main cause of suicide for the first time.