The number of children in Japan who died by suicide in 2025 hit a record high for the second consecutive year, rising by three from a year earlier to 532, preliminary government data showed Thursday. Suicides among children have remained above 500 cases annually since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. In the reporting year, 352 senior high school students died by suicide, followed by 170 junior high school students and 10 elementary school pupils, according to the ministry. School-related issues were cited in 316 of the suicides among people 19 and younger, with health issues cited in 315 cases and family problems in 181. The number of suicides per 100,000 people stood at 15.4, down 1.0 from the previous year.