Epidemiology and socio-demographic risk factors of self-immolation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

•Those who attempted self-immolation in Iran were mainly young women.•Small percentage of self-immolators had mental disorder and were drug abusers.•Sixty-one per cent of those who attempted self-immolation in Iran died due to severe injuries.•Increasing awareness may mitigate the high incidence rate of suicide by self-immolation in Iran.