Suicides fell for an eighth consecutive year in 2017, dropping 3.5 percent from the previous year to 21,140, preliminary data from the National Police Agency showed Friday.

"There has been a steady fall due to the recovery in the economy and efforts made by local governments," said an official from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

By sex, suicides among men fell to 14,693 — dipping below 15,000 for the first time in 22 years — while female suicides fell to 6,447, setting a record low for the second consecutive year. The NPA began tracking suicides in 1978.