On average 26 farmers die by suicide every year in the Republic of Ireland, a stark reminder of the mental health struggles facing many farmers.

CSO figures show a 47% decline in the number of farmers who died by suicide in the three years from 2014 to 2017.

In 2014, 34 farmers died by suicide, while the most recent figures show that 20 farmers died by suicide in 2017.

The UK’s farm safety foundation Yellow Wellies estimates that one farmer a week dies by suicide. The National Suicide Research Foundation pointed to a 2012 report showing that the farming community accounted for the second highest rate of death by suicide (12.5%), after people in construction (32.8%). A 2018 HSE report highlighted that middle-aged men in the farm community were a priority group for mental health difficulties.

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