Trends in suicide mortality in Europe from 1950 to 2009 were studied.
Data on 4,777,113 suicides in addition to the data on population were extracted from the WHO Mortality Database.
In Europe, there was an increase in suicide mortality during the 1980s and the 1990s, followed by a decrease. The suicide mortality of Finnish men has decreased from the highest rate in the 1950s to the ninth place in the 2000s. In contrast, the suicide mortality of Finnish women is currently the second highest in Europe.
Continuous work and research are needed to enhance suicide prevention at the regional level.