Suicides in Japan topped 30,000 for the seventh straight year in 2004, with men accounting for more than two-thirds of the number, according to a report released by the National Police Agency on Thursday.

2004 saw 32,325 people commit suicide, down 2,102, or 6.1 percent, from 2003, when the all-time high of 34,427 suicides was recorded, the report says.

Of the total, men accounted for more than 70 percent of the suicides, at 23,272. Suicides involving people aged 40 or older numbered 23,868.

The report says 47.8 percent of the people who killed themselves were unemployed, and nearly 8,000 are believed to have killed themselves over economic or livelihood difficulties.

The number who committed suicide with others they got to know through the Internet grew by 21 from the previous year to 55 in 2004.

Health problems were seen as the most common reason behind the suicides this year, accounting for 14,786, or 45.7 percent of the victims, followed by economic and livelihood difficulties, with 7,947, or 24.6 percent. Family troubles came next with 2,992, or 9.3 percent of the victims, according to the NPA.

Regarding presumed causes of suicide among men in their 40s and 50s, economic or livelihood difficulties topped the list, the report says.

By age group, people 60 or over accounted for the most suicides, at 10,994, or 34 percent, followed by 7,772, or 24 percent, in their 50s and 5,102, or 15.8 percent, in their 40s.