HK's suicide case number rises 20 pct to 1,040 in 2013

The number of suicide cases in Hong Kong was 1,040 in 2013, a rise by more than 20 percent from the previous year, according to a report of Coroners' Court in Hong Kong.

According to the report, 644 of them were male, outnumbering the 396 women by 60 percent, and those of middle-aged (i.e. aged 30 to 59) men and elderly persons (i.e. persons aged 60 above) accounted for 28 percent and 36 percent respectively.

Moreover, the suicide rate of teenagers (i.e. persons aged 19 or below) soared by 38 percent as compared with the figure in 2012, the report said.

Hong Kong has a population of about 7.2 million people.

Matthew Cheung, the Secretary for Labor and Welfare of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said Thursday that the government has been taking a multi-pronged approach in tackling the issue of suicide.

"Suicide is a complicated issue and is caused by multi-faceted factors including biological, social and psychological factors that interact with one another. Each case has its uniqueness," Cheung said.

"The government has been allocating resources continuously to suicide prevention, including improving existing services and developing professional counseling services," Cheung added.