SINGAPORE: Suicides in Singapore rose nearly 26 percent last year to their highest level in more than two decades, reflecting the "unseen mental distress" in the city-state, a local nongovernmental organization said.

The suicide rates among young people ages 10 to 29 and elderly people ages 70 to 79 were particularly concerning, the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) prevention center said in its annual statement containing statistics on the issue.