Suicides in Japan topped 30,000 for the ninth straight year in 2006, although a slight drop was seen from the previous year, the National Police Agency said Thursday, adding, however, that young teen suicides surged.

A total of 32,155 people took their own lives last year, down 1.2 percent, or 397, from 2005, the report said.

The NPA said Japan's economic recovery contributed to the decrease. The number of people who took their lives due to economic hardship went down by 10.1 percent, or 787, to 6,969 in 2006.