The suicide rate among Swiss farmers is almost 40% higher than the average for men in rural areas, a study has found. The main causes are fears about the future and financial worries. A survey by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), reported in the SonntagsZeitung, found that between 1991 and 2014, 447 Swiss farmers took their lives. While the overall suicide rate among Swiss men living in rural areas has declined constantly in recent years, it has risen among farmers since 2003, researchers found. The suicide rate among farmers is 37% higher than the average for men in rural areas. The main causes of suicide among farmers are fears for the future, financial worries, succession problems or loneliness. Mark Ritter, president of the Swiss Farmers’ Association, said the figures were “very worrying” and gave an insight into the human issues faced by farmers. There are about 52,000 farms in Switzerland, mostly small operations, but around 1,000 close each year. The ...
