The number of young people who took their own lives rose steeply in 2017, according to latest official figures.

The national statistics service CBS classed 81 deaths as suicide for people aged between 10 and 20, compared to 48 in the previous year. Suicide is the largest cause of death among the young, accounting for a quarter of all fatalities between the ages of 10 and 30.

The overall figure of 1917 was slightly higher than the previous year’s total of 1894, with the over-60s the only age group to record a fall in the number of suicides.

Drenthe and Zeeland had relatively more cases than other provinces. CBS spokeswoman Tanja Traag said the regions with an older overall population were more likely to have a higher suicide rate, but the trend varied from year to year.

‘We know that suicide is most common among the 40 to 60 age group,’ she said. ‘So it’s partly to do with the make-up of the province’s population. There’s not a lot more you can attribute to the regional figures.’