Mental health crisis deepens in UK farming after 47 suicides in 2024

Farmers across the UK are reaching breaking point as new research shows mental wellbeing has fallen to its lowest level in four years.

The warning comes as the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal that 47 suicides were registered in England and Wales among people working in farming and agriculture during 2024, highlighting the growing crisis facing rural communities.

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) says the sector is grappling with what it describes as the industry’s “biggest hidden problem”, with suicide prevention now a central focus for its annual Mind Your Head campaign.

Now in its ninth year, Mind Your Head week will run from 9–13 February 2026, calling on farmers, rural organisations, colleges and Young Farmers Clubs to start potentially life-saving conversations and strengthen support networks across the countryside.

Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said awareness around mental health has improved in recent years, but suicide prevention work has not progressed far enough.

“Over the past nine years, we have made significant strides in raising awareness and improving education around mental health. However, when it comes to suicide prevention, progress has been far more limited,” she said.

The charity’s latest findings are based on a survey of 765 farmers across the UK, using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), a widely recognised national measure of positive mental health.

Results show that overall wellbeing in the farming community continues to lag behind that of the wider UK population.

Mental wellbeing among farmers aged over 40 has dropped to a four-year low, with the sharpest decline seen among those aged 61 and over — historically considered one of the most resilient groups in agriculture.

Until recently, this age bracket consistently reported wellbeing levels above the UK average, but the charity warns that resilience is now under severe strain.

Ms Berkeley pointed to the unique pressures facing farming families, including isolation, financial uncertainty, long working hours and generational expectations.

“Farming brings a unique set of pressures… Conversations about suicide in rural communities require approaches that are real, relatable and rooted in lived experience,” she said.

She added that while rural support groups and charities provide vital help, there remains a significant lack of suicide prevention training tailored specifically to agricultural life.

“Without training designed for the realities of agricultural life, we risk leaving those most vulnerable without the tools they need to recognise warning signs and intervene effectively,” she said.

The renewed focus on prevention comes as rural organisations across the UK strengthen their own strategies, including Scottish charity RSABI appointing its first Suicide Prevention Lead and Northern Ireland’s Rural Support recruiting a dedicated officer.

The issue was also recognised at a recent roundtable of leading farming support charities attended by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

As part of the Royal Foundation’s National Suicide Prevention Network — a four-nations initiative launched on World Mental Health Day — the Farm Safety Foundation will use this year’s campaign to drive collaboration, innovation and improved access to support.

During the week, the charity will launch a new Suicide Awareness and Prevention eLearning module, developed with Baton of Hope and funded by the Royal Foundation.

The training will be tailored specifically to farming audiences, offering practical guidance on recognising warning signs, using supportive language and creating simple safety plans, with clear signposting to specialist help available within the sector.

Karen Hodgson, associate director at the Royal Foundation, said the partnership demonstrates the importance of reaching communities most at risk.

“It is great to see collaboration in action… bringing innovative approaches to suicide prevention and reaching communities that need it most,” she said. “This work will make a real difference to those living and working in rural communities across the UK.”

The campaign will also share personal stories from across farming and release a new film bringing together voices of those affected by suicide.

“This will be a campaign about education, resilience and compassion — but above all, it will be about hope and saving lives,” Ms Berkeley said.

More information about Mind Your Head week is available via Yellow Wellies, with supporters encouraged to follow the hashtag #MindYourHead online.