Suicide rates amongst Bogotá’s elderly population have risen 72% in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024, according to data released in June by the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF).
Bogotá City Councilwoman María Clara Name Ramirez recently called attention to data from the institute, which reported 31 registered cases of suicide by persons aged 60 and over in the capital district from January to June, compared to 18 cases during the same period last year.
In 2024, the Institute recorded 3,014 suspected cases of suicide across Colombia, the majority of which (84%) were below the age of 60.
Despite the relatively low numbers of elderly suicides Councilwoman Name Ramirez, from the Alianza Verde (Green Alliance party), has been raising alarm bells.
The councillor prompted the Bogotá City Council to issue a report in September detailing some of the assumed underlying causes, including:
- Elderly citizens’ loss of autonomy due to health or family issues, which can cause depression and cognitive decline.
- Socioeconomic status also plays a role, with 40% of suicidal ideation cases concentrated in the lower-middle class “estrato” 3 and 4.
- A rise in family abuse and abandonment also is impacting seniors.
In July, the councilwoman proposed legislation (Bill 705 of 2025) that would seek to strengthen senior adult mental health in the capital.
The bill would act both “as a mechanism to integrate and coordinate the entire range of mental health services offered by the District Administration, as well as implement new strategies for strengthening community care and self-care, and for improving the quality of life of older persons, ensuring prevention, care, and promotion.”
“We want to reduce the risks of anxiety, depression and suicide,” Name Ramirez stated in the council’s report. “This population needs us, and it’s time to repay them with love and care for all they’ve done for us.”
The city has a few organizations designed to help seniors, including Casas de la Sabiduría, government-run day centres for seniors, and Fundadores de Vida Adulta Mayor, a religious-based organization that supports vulnerable seniors.
Suicide rates dropping overall in Bogotá
According to a different INMLCF report, so far in 2025, there has been a 12.3% decline in suicide rates compared to the same period in 2024.
This year, as of July 30, the total number of suicides in the capital stands at 185 deaths reported. This is the lowest number in the last four years.
Bogotá’s Secretary of Health, Gerson Bermont, said the “decline shows that progress in prevention is possible … with coordinated and community-based work, it is possible to reverse this trend and that addressing mental health saves lives.”