Economic insecurity and suicide vulnerability among women in China

Xiaomei Chen, Bo Dai, Bangjun Zhang, Peng Zhang

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between multidimensional economic insecurity, structural socioeconomic change, and female suicide vulnerability in China. The analysis employs a qualitative secondary-data approach using annual national time-series data for China covering 2000–2024, sourced from the World Health Organization Mortality Database, World Bank World Development Indicators, and International Labour Organization labour statistics. Descriptive trend and comparative analyses supported by graphical visualisation techniques were used to examine patterns and associations among the variables. The findings reveal a substantial long-run decline in the female suicide rate from 15.18 per 100,000 women in 2000 to 8.69 in 2024, although a mild increase was observed after 2020. Labour market indicators evolved unevenly: vulnerable employment declined markedly, wage employment increased, labour force participation fell gradually, and unemployment fluctuated within a narrow range. Among the indicators examined, vulnerable employment showed the strongest alignment with female suicide vulnerability, whereas unemployment displayed a weaker relationship. This study advances a gender-sensitive and multidimensional framework linking suicide vulnerability to labour market insecurity, employment structure, inequality, and demographic transformation, with implications for public health and labour policy. 

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