SUICIDE STATISTICS REPORT 2014:

Including data for 2010-2012

March 2014
Author: Elizabeth Scowcroft

CONTENTS
SAMARITANS TAKING THE LEAD TO REDUCE SUICIDE........................................................................................................................................... 4
Data sources UK ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Data sources ROI ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Suicide definitions ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Note on the availability of suicide data ................................................................................................................................................................. 5
UK SUICIDE DEFINITION ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Box 1. UK Definition of Suicide ................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
UK SUICIDE - 2012 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Table 1: Number of suicides in UK, 2012 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Graph 1: Suicide rates per 100,000* in UK, 2012 .................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Graph 2: Suicide rates in UK by age group, 2012..................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Graph 3: Suicide rates in England by age group, 2012 ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
Graph 4: Suicide rates in Wales by age group, 2012 ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Graph 5: Suicide rates in Scotland by age group, 2012* ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
Graph 6: Suicide rates in Northern Ireland by age group, 2012 ............................................................................................................................................ 11
UK SUICIDE TRENDS OVER TIME ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Graph 7: Suicide rate per 100,000 in the UK 1992-2012 ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
Graph 8: Suicide rate per 100,000 in England 1992-2012 ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
Graph 9: Suicide rate per 100,000 in Wales 1992-2012 ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Graph 10: Suicide rate per 100,000 in Scotland 1992-2012* ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Graph 11: Suicide rate per 100,000 in Northern Ireland 1992-2012 ..................................................................................................................................... 14
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUICIDE 2012 ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Table 2: Number of suicides in ROI, 2012 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Graph 12: Suicide Rates per 100,000 in ROI, 2012 ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUICIDE BY AGE GROUP 2012 .......................................................................................................................................... 16
2

Graph 13: Suicide rates in ROI by age group 2012 ................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Graph 14: Suicide rate per 100,000 in ROI 1992-2012 ......................................................................................................................................................... 17
CHALLENGES WITH SUICIDE STATISTICS.............................................................................................................................................................. 18
The under-reporting of suicide: ....................................................................................................................................................................... 18
The reliability and validity of suicide statistics: ................................................................................................................................................ 19
Difficulties comparing suicide statistics: .......................................................................................................................................................... 20
APPENDIX 1: Rate per 100,000 of deaths by suicide* in the UK 2010-2012 ............................................................................................................... 21
Table 3. UK suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 ................................................................................................ 21
Table 4. England suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 ....................................................................................... 22
Table 5. Wales suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 .......................................................................................... 23
Table 6. Scotland suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 ...................................................................................... 24
Table 7. Northern Ireland suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 ......................................................................... 25
APPENDIX 2: Number of deaths by suicide* in the UK 2010-2012 ............................................................................................................................ 26
Table 8. UK suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012.......................................................................................... 26
Table 9. England suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 ................................................................................. 27
Table 10. Wales suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 .................................................................................. 28
Table 11. Scotland suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 .............................................................................. 29
Table 12. Northern Ireland suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 ................................................................. 30
APPENDIX 3: Rate per 100,000 of deaths by suicide* in ROI 2010-2012 ................................................................................................................... 31
Table 13. Republic of Ireland suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012 .................................................................... 31
APPENDIX 4: Number of deaths by suicide* in ROI 2010-2012 ................................................................................................................................ 32
Table 14. Republic of Ireland suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012.............................................................. 32

SAMARITANS TAKING THE LEAD TO REDUCE SUICIDE

Suicide remains a major public health issue and is a devastating event for families and communities. Samaritans Strategy
2009-2015 outlines our commitment to take the lead to reduce suicide. This will be achieved through the delivery of our
helpline services, reaching out to high risk groups in communities, working with other organisations and services, and
influencing public policy.
Samaritans believes that a reduction in suicide is not only possible but that it is an urgent and important priority
which does not receive enough attention
Samaritans Strategy 2009-2015.
In 2012, 21% of contacts with Samaritans (over 600,000) involved individuals expressing suicidal feelings.
Achieving a reduction in suicide involves reaching more
people who may be at risk of taking their own lives; which
can only be achieved by understanding which groups of
individuals are particularly at risk of suicidal thoughts and
behaviours.

This document provides a description of the suicide rates

within the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI), using
data which is available from the official statistics bodies; it
does not provide explanations for the trends in suicide
rates within or between nations.

The collation of suicide statistics for the UK, England,

Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and ROI is not routinely
provided by any other organisation. There are significant
challenges in collating the suicide statistics from across
the UK and ROI. There are variations in the calculation
methods of suicide rates between the national statistical
agencies and differences in the data. This leads to
challenges in the collation and analysis of suicide statistics
and comparisons across countries. In order to understand
and prevent suicide it is very important that suicide data
is as accurate and comprehensive as possible. This
document also includes some comment on these issues,
suicide statistics and the availability of data.
4

Data sources UK

The UK data in this document has been provided by the official

statistical bodies: Office for National Statistics (ONS; overall UK
data, England and Wales), the National Records of Scotland (NRS;
Scotland, previously the General Register Office for Scotland; data
compiled by ScotPHO), and the Northern Ireland Statistics and
Research Agency (NISRA; Northern Ireland). The most recent data
available and discussed in this document is from 2012 (data
published in 2013 and 2014). All suicide rates shown have been
calculated by the respective statistical agencies named above.
Rates provided by the ONS for the UK, England and Wales, and by
NRS for Scotland are age standardised to the European Standard
Population for overall male, female and person rates; rates broken
down by age group are crude rates. All rates provided by NISRA are
crude rates.
Based on revised population estimates, ONS provided adjusted
rates per 100,000 in their 2014 statistical bulletin. Therefore some
historical data will differ from previous editions of this document.

Data sources ROI

Suicide statistics for ROI are provided by the Central Statistics

Office for Ireland (CSO) and are provided in this document
separately to the UK data. This is because there are fundamental
differences between the ROI and the UK in the statistical categories
used to make up the suicide figures, which means the statistics are
not comparable.
All rates provided by CSO are crude rates.

Suicide definitions

The UK definition of suicide in statistical terms can be found in Box

1 on page 6. This is in line with guidance from the ONS as to how a
death is classified as suicide; NRS and NISRA also use this definition.
This definition combines deaths where the underlying cause was of
intentional self-harm (ICD10: X60-X84) and events of undetermined
intent (ICD10: Y10-Y34). The statistics for ROI, however, do not
include deaths classified as undetermined intent as suicides and
suicide numbers and rates include only deaths classified under ICD10 codes X60-X84 (see Box 1). It would therefore be misleading to
consider these statistics alongside those for the UK, as this may
imply falsely that they are comparable.
The ONS, NISRA and NRS figures all relate to deaths registered (but
not necessarily occurring) in a given year. Data for suicides in the
ROI provided by the CSO for 2012 relate to the number of deaths
registered in that year, but data for previous years reflect deaths
occurring in a calendar year; provisional data is published initially
and subsequently updated to reflect the number of deaths that
occur in a given year.

Note on the availability of suicide data

The data available on suicide from the official statistical bodies is

limited. Additional information is sometimes available on request,
but other information, such as ethnicity, is not included in the
recording of a suicide. Information on socio-economic status is not
routinely reported on in statistical bulletins. Some government
public health or suicide prevention agencies in the different nations
undertake more in-depth analysis of suicide statistics, and may
include data from other sources. This is done differently in each
country. Data are also inconsistent: the statistical agencies provide
different demographic descriptors, e.g. age bands differ.

UK SUICIDE DEFINITION

In 2011 the ONS (UK, England and Wales), NRS (Scotland) and NISRA (Northern Ireland) adopted a change in the classification of deaths in
line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) new coding rules. The change results in some deaths previously coded under 'mental and
behavioural disorders' now being classed as 'self-poisoning of undetermined intent' and therefore included in the suicide figures1.
Theoretically, this could mean that more deaths could be coded with an underlying cause of event of undetermined intent, which is included
in the national definition of suicide (Box 1). This change does not affect Republic of Ireland data since their definition of suicide does not include
deaths where the underlying cause is of undetermined intent.
ONS only produce data using the
new coding rules since the change
(data for 2011 and 2012). They
note that caution should be used
when comparing data with old and
new coding as they are not directly
comparable. Preliminary analyses
of the data suggest no significant
change as a result of the coding
changes; however this finding
should still be treated with
caution.

NRS produce two sets of suicide

data for each year since the
change (data for 2011 and 2012) to
reflect what figures would show
using both the old and new coding
rules. They note that, when
examining trends over time, data
using the old coding rules should
be used; 2011 data based on the
new rules is not directly
comparable to old data.

NISRA only produce data using the

new coding rules since the change
(data for 2011 and 2012).
Preliminary checks by NISRA have
indicated only minimal differences
to the coding change, and NISRA
therefore does not expect that
there will be a significant impact
on the figures reported.

Box 1. UK Definition of Suicide

ICD-9
ICD-10
E950-E959 X60-X84*
E980-E9891 Y10-Y342
Y87.0/Y87.23

Description
Intentional self-harm
Injury/poisoning of undetermined intent
Sequelae of intentional self-harm / event of undetermined intent

Excluding E988.8 for England and Wales.

Excluding Y33.9 where the coroner's verdict was pending in England and Wales for 2001-2006. From
2007 onwards, deaths previously coded as Y33.9 are coded to U50.9.
3
Y87.0 and Y87.2 are not included for England and Wales.
*Code used for classifying deaths described as suicide in the Republic of Ireland.
2

Provided by ONS.

Explanation taken from ScotPHO website, updated September 2013; http://www.scotpho.org.uk/health-wellbeing-and-disease/suicide/keypoints

1

UNDERSTANDING SUICIDE STATISTICS

This document gives details about the numbers and rates of suicides in the UK and ROI. It is important to understand the differences between
numbers and rates in order to use this information correctly. For the definition of suicide as used in the UK see Box 1; for the definition of
suicide as used in the ROI see codes X6-X84 in Box 1. For full data tables of numbers and rates see Tables in Appendices.

Things to consider when using suicide statistics:

The number of suicides in a group (e.g. in a country or a
specific age group) can give a misleading picture of the
incidence of suicide when considered alone. Rates per
100,000 people are produced in order to adjust for the
underlying population size. An area or group with a larger
population may have a higher number of suicides than an
area or group with a smaller population, but the rate per
100,000 may be lower.
The size of populations must also be considered when
looking at suicide rates; smaller populations often produce
rates that are less reliable as the rates per 100,000 are
based on small numbers; therefore differences in the
number of suicides may have a bigger impact on the rate
than in a larger population. An example of this might be
suicide in older people, as the population size is lower than
in younger age groups.
In the UK, a coroner is able to give a verdict of suicide for
those as young as 10 years. However, rates per 100,000 are
provided by the ONS for ages 15 years and over when their
suicide bulletin is released. This is due to the known
subjectivity between coroners with regards to classifying
childrens deaths as suicide, and because the number in
those under 15 tends to be low and their inclusion may

reduce the overall rates. NISRA and NRS, however, do

provide rates from as young as 10 years and rates for all
persons, males and females are based on all ages.
The overall rates for all persons, males and females for ROI
are based on those aged 15 and over; however, the rates
for individual age groups are also produced for those as
young as 10-14 years.
When comparing trends over time in suicide it is important
to look over a relatively long period. Increases and
decreases for a year at a time should not be considered in
isolation. There may be fluctuations year-on-year and these
should not be viewed as true changes to the trend that is
attributable to any psycho-social predictors.
Attention must also be paid as to whether rates that are
produced are crude rates or age standardised rates. Age
standardised rates are rates that have been standardised to
the European population so that comparisons between
countries can be made with greater confidence. Crude
rates have not been standardised in this way.
It is also important to note that within countries there can
be important regional and local differences in suicide rates.

UK SUICIDE - 2012
Data for the UK and all constituent nations in this section has been produced using the
new coding rules as described in the UK suicide definition section on page 6.
See appendices 1 and 2 for full data tables.

See page 20 for information

about comparing suicide statistics
between nations!

Table 1: Number of suicides in UK, 2012

Table 1 shows that the highest number of suicides occurred in England for all persons, males and
females. The lowest number of suicides for all persons, males and females occurred in Northern
Ireland.

Overall Male Female

UK

5981

4590

1391

England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland

4507
334
830
278

3483
257
608
215

1024
77
222
63

Only looking at the number of suicides in a nation may be misleading as to where suicide is more
prevalent. This is due to difference in population size. Rates per 100,000 are used to give a truer
picture of where suicide is more prevalent - see Graph 1.
Graph 1 shows that the highest suicide rate per 100,000
for females and for all persons was in Scotland and for
males was in Northern Ireland; the lowest rates for these
three groups were in England.

Graph 1: Suicide rates per 100,000* in UK, 2012

30.0

Across the UK, male suicide rates are consistently higher

than female rates.

Rate per 100,000

25.0
20.0

For the UK as a whole, England, Wales and Northern

Ireland the male suicide rate is approximately 3 times
higher than the female rate.

15.0
10.0

In Scotland the male suicide rate is approximately 3 times

higher than the female rate.

5.0
0.0

Overall Male Female Overall Male Female Overall Male Female Overall Male Female Overall Male Female
UK

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

* Rates for UK, England, Wales, and Scotland are age

standardised to the European Standard Population;
Northern Ireland are crude rates. Rates for UK, England,
and Wales are for persons age 15+ years; Scotland and
Northern Ireland are for all ages.

UK SUICIDE BY AGE GROUP 2012

Data for the UK and all constituent nations in this section is that which has been produced using the new coding rules as described in the UK suicide
definition section on page 6. Data presented in the graphs in this section are of the suicide rate per 100,000 rather than the number of suicides in an age
group; looking at the number of suicides may be misleading due to difference in population sizes. Rates are used to give a truer picture of where suicide is
more prevalent. The number of deaths by age group, and full data tables with numerical rates can be found in the tables within appendices 1 and 2.
Graph 2: Suicide rates in UK by age group, 2012
Rate per 100,000

30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0

Male

10.0

Female

5.0

Overall

0.0

Graph 2 shows that in the UK, the age group with the highest
suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons is 45-49 years; for
males the highest rate is for 40-44 years; for females the
highest rate is for 50-54 years.
This data also indicates a slight bimodal distribution with
peaks in the mid-years and the start of an upward trend
towards the oldest age categories.

Age group (years)

Graph 3: Suicide rates in England by age group, 2012

25.0
20.0

Rate per 100,000

15.0
Male

10.0

Female

5.0

Overall

0.0

Graph 3 shows that in England, the age group with the

highest suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons and females
is 45-49 years; for males the age group with the highest rate
is 40-44 years.
This data also indicates a slight bimodal distribution with
peaks in the mid-years and the start of an upward trend
towards the oldest age categories.

Age group (years)

Graph 4: Suicide rates in Wales by age group, 2012

Graph 4 shows that in Wales, the age group with the highest
suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons and males and
females is 30-34 years.

50.0
40.0

Rate per 100,000

30.0
Male

20.0

Female

10.0

Overall

0.0

Age group (years)

As can be seen in Graph 4, some groups have no rate per

100,000; the ONS will not produce a rate per 100,000 when
there are fewer than 3 deaths in a category, as the figure
would be susceptible to inaccurate interpretation because a
rate produced with such a low number of deaths would not
be reliable. Also see notes on page 7 in Understanding
Suicide Statistics for information on rates within small
populations.

Graph 5: Suicide rates in Scotland by age group, 2012*

Graph 5 shows that in Scotland, the age group with the
highest suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons and males is
35-44 years; for females the age group with the highest
suicide rate is 45-54 years.

50.0
40.0
Rate per 100,000

30.0
Male

20.0

Female

10.0

Overall

0.0

As can be seen in Graph 5, the youngest and oldest age

groups have no rate per 100,000; the Scottish Public Health
Observatory (ScotPHO) do not produce a rate per 100,000
for these groups due to small numbers in these age groups in
Scotland. Also see notes on page 7 in Understanding Suicide
Statistics for information on rates within small populations.

Age group (years)

* Scotland data broken down by age and gender relate to deaths that have been classified using the new coding rules; see explanation of suicide definition
and coding rules on page 6.
10

Graph 6: Suicide rates in Northern Ireland by age group, 2012

60.0

Raet per 100,000

50.0
40.0
30.0

Male

20.0

Female

10.0

Overall

0.0

Graph 6 shows that in Northern Ireland, the age group

with the highest suicide rate per 100,000 for all
persons and males is 25-29 years; and for females is
50-54 years.
This data also indicates a slight bimodal distribution
with peaks in the younger (20s) and in the mid years
(50s) for both males and females.

Age group (years)

11

UK SUICIDE TRENDS OVER TIME

Information provided in the text boxes adjacent to the graphs in this section regarding significance and percentage differences in rates has been taken
directly from the statistical agencies publications for each nations suicide data, and is not calculated by Samaritans.
Graph 7 shows that suicide rates have stayed relatively stable in
the UK over the last 20 years, with some fluctuations. Since
1992, in the UK, there has been an overall decrease of around 2
per 100,000 for all persons.

Graph 7: Suicide rate per 100,000 in the UK 1992-2012

25.0
20.0

Rate per 100,000

15.0
Overall

10.0

Males

5.0

Females

0.0

Female trend: The UK female rate remained relatively stable

until 2004, after which there was a decrease for 3 years reaching
its lowest point. Since then the rate has risen again with
fluctuations. There has been no significant change in female
suicide rates since 2004.

Year

Graph 8: Suicide rate per 100,000 in England 1992-2012

Graph 8 shows that suicide rates have stayed relatively stable in

England over the last 20 years, with some fluctuations. There
has been an overall decrease of around 3 per 100,000 for all
persons.

25.0
20.0

Rate per 100,000

15.0
Overall

10.0

Males

5.0

Females

0.0

Year

Male trend: There has been a general decrease in the UK male

rate over 20 years. However there was a significant rise
between 1997 and 1998, male rates then fell each year between
2000 and 2007, rose slightly in 2008 and continued to fall until
2011, when the rate increased significantly again with no change
in 2012.

Male trend: England is similar to that of the whole UK (see box

above) and while there has been an overall decrease of almost 4
per 100,000 over 20 years there were notable fluctuations
around 1998, 2008 and 2011.
Female trend: Again, mirrors the UK, remaining more stable
than the male rates with some fluctuations; over 20 years seeing
12
an overall decrease of around 2 per 100,000.

Graph 9 shows that in Wales, the trend for male suicides

has fluctuated over the last 20 years, as has the female
rate, although less dramatically.

Graph 9: Suicide rate per 100,000 in Wales 1992-2012

30.0
25.0

Rate per 100,000

20.0
15.0

Overall

10.0

Males

5.0

Females

0.0

Year

Despite fluctuations in the female rate, with peaks in

1998, 2002, and 2008, there has been a decrease of less
than 1 per 100,000 over the last 20 years.
Graph 10 shows that, in Scotland, the rate of suicide is
similar to 20 years previously in 1992, but has fluctuated
over this time.

Graph 10: Suicide rate per 100,000 in Scotland 1992-2012*

30.0
25.0

Rate per 100,000

20.0
15.0

Overall

10.0

Males

5.0

Females

0.0

Year

The male rate has decreased by about 3 per 100,000

over this period. However there have been greater
fluctuations, and an overall range of around 8 per
100,000 between the highest (24.6 in 1992 and 1999)
and lowest (16.7 in 2008). Since 1992 the male rate in
Wales has remained consistently higher than that in
England and the UK as a whole. In 2012 the rate in Wales
for men was 23% higher than England.

The male rate appeared consistently higher for the first

10 years, and then lowered from 2003 with a notable
fluctuation around 2007. Over 20 years there has been
an overall decrease of around 2 per 100,000. The female
rate seems to have remained largely stable over time.
In additional analyses using three-year rolling averages
(ScotPHO, 2013), it has been shown that between 200002 and 2010-12 there was an 18% fall in suicide rates
overall (20% for males and 10% for females).

*Data in Graph 10 only includes deaths coded using old-rules (see notes in UK suicide definition section, page 6). This is because data using new-rules for
2011 and 2012 is not directly comparable to the previous years data and, as advised by ScotPHO, old rules data should be used when making comparisons
over time.
13

Graph 11: Suicide rate per 100,000 in Northern Ireland 1992-2012

30
25

Rate per 100,000

20
15

Overall

10

Males

Females

Graph 11 shows that in Northern Ireland, there was

relative stability during the period between 1992 and
2004. Since 2004 both the male and female rates have
seen increases; the male rate has increased by 11 per
100,000 and the female rate by 2 per 100,000 in this
latter period of the last 20 years.
However, this has not been a steady increase; the rate
has fluctuated year on year, particularly for males, with a
peak in 2010.

Year

14

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUICIDE 2012

The data for suicide in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) is presented in a separate section because these statistics are not comparable to those for the UK. For a
full explanation of the reasons for this please see the information on pages 5-7.
For full data tables see appendices 3 and 4.
Table 2: Number of suicides in ROI, 2012
Overall

Male

Female

507

413

94

Table 2 shows that the highest number of suicides occurred in males; with approximately 4
times as many male as female suicides.
Only looking at the number of suicides in a nation may be misleading as to where suicide is
more prevalent. This is due to the difference in the population size of groups. Rates per
100,000 are used to give a truer picture of where suicide is more prevalent - see Graph 12.

Graph 12: Suicide Rates per 100,000 in ROI, 2012

25

Rate per 100,000

20
15

Graph 12 shows that the highest suicide rate per

100,000 was for males in the ROI.

10

The rate for male suicides is almost 5 times that of

females.

5
0
Overall

Male

Female

15

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUICIDE BY AGE GROUP 2012

Data are of the suicide rate per 100,000 rather than the number of suicides in an age group; looking at the number of suicides may be misleading due to
differences in population sizes. Rates are used to give a truer picture of where suicide is more prevalent. The number of deaths by age group, and full data
tables with numerical rates can be found in the tables within appendices 3 and 4.
Graph 13: Suicide rates in ROI by age group 2012
Graph 13 shows that in ROI, the age group with the
highest suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons is 4044years, for males is 60-64 years, and for females the
highest rate is in the age group 25-29 years.

35
30

Rate per 100,000

25
20
15

Male

10

Female

Overall

For males there seems to be three peaks of suicide rate

across the age groups; in the 20s, 40s, and early 60s.
The female rate seems to fluctuate also but does remain
relatively stable across the age groups compared to the
male trend.

Age group (years)

16

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUICIDE RATES TRENDS OVER

TIME

Rate per 100,000

Graph 14: Suicide rate per 100,000 in ROI 1992-2012

35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0

Graph 14 shows the rates for suicide in ROI are similar to

those of 20 years ago, however, the male rate has
fluctuated notably during this time; the female rate has
remained relatively stable.
Overall
Males
Females

Year

Over this time the male rate has had a range of around
11 per 100,000 with a low of 19.3 per 100,000 in 1993
increasing to 30.6 per 100,000 in 1998. From 1998 there
was a general decrease until 2008 when the rate began
to rise again.
While stable in comparison to the male trend, the female
rates seem to peak in 1994, 1999, 2001 and 2009.

17

CHALLENGES WITH SUICIDE STATISTICS

The under-reporting of suicide:

It is commonly acknowledged by professionals in the field of suicide

research that official statistics underestimate the true number and rate
of suicide. This is not only the case in the UK and ROI but in most (if not
all) countries. There are various reasons and explanations for this underreporting, which will be described in this section.
One of the main reasons for the under-reporting of deaths by suicide is
the misclassification of deaths. This means that the cause of death is
coded as something other than suicide. An example of this may be where
a coroner cannot establish whether there was intent by the individual to
kill his/herself and so the cause of death may be recorded as one of
undetermined intent or accidental. This may occur in situations where
the death involved a road traffic accident or where there is long term
illness. It could also be difficult to determine whether there was intent to
die in situations of self-harm leading to suicide.
The difference in methods of suicide between males and females is
discussed by many researchers: males seem to choose more final and
obvious methods than females. It may be that in methods more
commonly used by females, the intent cannot be determined (or
assumed) as easily as in methods more common to males. This may, in
part, explain some of the variation in rates between the genders, as there
may be more under-reporting of suicidal deaths in females (Cantor,
Leenaars & Lester, 1997).
Some researchers comment that the subjective nature of the coronal
system could also lead to under-reporting. There may be many reasons a
coroner may classify a death as something other than suicide. It could be
that the coroner believes there is not enough evidence to prove that
suicide was the cause of death; a coroner should record a cause of death
based on the principle of beyond doubt as opposed to on the balance of
probabilities. There may be stigma attached to reporting a death as
suicide. This could be particularly relevant in instances such as child

deaths, or relate to the socio-cultural norms of the individual, their family

or community, cultural or religious taboos (e.g. suicide rates in Islamic
communities seem to be very low, which may be attributed to underreporting due to familial stigma [De Leo 2002; 2009]). It has been
suggested that in the UK there continues to be a stigma attached to
suicide from a time when it was a criminal offence. In some countries it is
still a criminal offence and so there may be even more stigma attached,
and therefore more under-reporting of suicide.
In the UK, part of the solution to under-reporting has been to include
deaths of undetermined intent within the official statistical category of
suicide. This attempts to correct for known under-reporting and is
thought to produce a more accurate total (and rate) of suicide in a given
year. However, this may cause problems in the ability to compare suicide
statistics across countries, some of which, e.g. ROI, do not include this
category.
In England and Wales, the use of narrative verdicts allows coroners to
give a verdict that does not necessarily have to be restricted to one cause
of death; a narrative account is given of the circumstances surrounding a
death, and this may eliminate some of the problems of trying to restrict a
verdict to one short form code. However, when a narrative verdict is
given by a coroner, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is still required
to assign a code to the death in the usual way. Where intent cannot be
established and the ONS cannot be clear from the narrative verdict that
the cause of death was suicide, the death is coded as accidental, rather
than of undetermined intent. These deaths are therefore not included in
the UK count of suicide and may add further to the under-reporting
problem. The ONS has undertaken analyses which suggest that the use of
narrative verdicts is not significantly impacting upon the suicide statistics
at present. However, this may change if the use of narrative verdicts
18
continues to increase (ONS, Suicides in the UK 2011 statistical bulletin,
2013).

It is also important to note that suicide is not the only cause of death that
suffers under-reporting through misclassification. For example, lung
cancer has a 16% error rate. While it would be unrealistic to expect death
reporting to have no error, every effort should be made to ensure
statistics are as accurate as possible.

The reliability and validity of suicide

statistics:

It is important to address the reliability of suicide statistics since these are

commonly used to directly influence decisions about public policy and
public health (including suicide prevention) strategies.
The reliability of statistics is obviously affected by the misclassification of
deaths leading to under-reporting (see section above). There are several
other additional factors that need to be considered.
It has been suggested that there may be inconsistencies in coroners
processes to establish a cause of death; individual coroners may record
deaths differently to others. For example, a coroner may decide not to
give a statement of intent on the death registration in some situations,
such as in the deaths of children, which may be out of sympathy for the
family or sensitivity to the cultural/religious beliefs of a family.
Differences may also arise in situations that prove difficult for the coroner
to establish one cause of death; for example, when chronic illness is a
factor in the death or in road accidents where there may also have been
suicidal intent. Such situations leave room for interpretation and
subjectivity.
As well as the death registration processes being subject to interpretation
and inconsistencies within a country, there are also likely to be
inconsistencies between countries. To take an obvious example, there are
different death registration processes across the UK nations. Therefore, it
cannot be assumed that suicide statistics in one country are measuring
the same phenomenon as those in another country.

Reliability is affected by the multiple definitions of suicide. Silverman

(2006) claims that there are more than 27 definitions of suicide used in
the research literature and this adds another dimension to the problem
of reliability, as suicide is defined differently by different researchers and
research disciplines, and in different context and professions. For
example, the clinical and legal definitions of suicide differ: within a legal
definition (used by coroners) there must be evidence that there was
intent to take ones life, whereas a clinical definition is based on a less
stringent concept of proof. Therefore, there may be under-reporting
where there is insufficient evidence of suicide available to satisfy coronial
requirements.
There are various positions within the research field as to the reliability of
suicide statistics and how (or even if) they can be used effectively. Some
researchers reject the use of official suicide statistics because their
reliability is so low; others, however, argue that the statistics are in fact
still reliable enough to be used to establish trends over time. It can be
argued that suicide statistics have poor validity but reasonable reliability.
This would mean that, even if we accept the limitations to the statistics,
the data still has some temporal stability and any limiting factor would
continuously be a limiting factor over time. Therefore trends could be
accepted to be truer than the statistics; changes in rates and fluctuations
may be valid if under-reporting remains stable over time (Brugha &
Walsh, 1978; Sainsbury & Jenkins, 1982). In this way, suicide statistics will
still give us valuable information about suicide over time and in different
groups who may be at risk. Others, however, are more sceptical about
both validity and reliability of official statistics.
It is also worth noting that due to the human nature of registration and
reporting, and the complexity of suicidal behaviour and actions, it is
inevitable that suicide statistics will never be completely reliable. It can
be argued that this will always be the case (Sainsbury & Jenkins, 1982);
the subjective nature of recording deaths and the differences between
countries registration processes will forever pose a problem for any
official statistics and their wider use. However, this should not be taken
19

to suggest that we should not raise these issues and continue to do

everything possible to limit these confounding factors, so that the suicide
statistics are as reliable as possible. Also, fluctuations and trends should
not be ignored because of the issues of under-reporting, misclassification
and limited reliability. All mortality figures will be subject to some degree
of error, but they do still provide valuable insights and predictive
information (Goldney, 2010).
A recent systematic review (Tllefsen, Hem and Ekeberg 2012) concludes
that there is a lack of research into the reliability of suicide statistics, but
also concludes that there is a tendency in international data to underreport suicide.

Difficulties comparing suicide statistics:

As has been mentioned in the previous sections, there are some

differences in the way different countries register deaths, and therefore
how deaths are classified as suicides. This potentially undermines
confidence in the value of comparing suicide statistics across countries.
Lower or higher rates may be an artefact of lower or higher quality (or
just different) registration procedures between countries, rather than a
reflection of true differences in suicide risk. Consequently, some
researchers suggest that cross-country comparison should not be made
or assumed to provide any reliable information about which populations
may be at more risk of suicide (Sainsbury & Jenkins, 1982). Other
researchers suggest that the differences in coding and registration of
suicides pose problems that make comparisons difficult, but not
impossible; that the rates should be compared with caution (Gjertsen,
2000). In this view, the differences are not enough to stop comparisons
between countries, and to do so would prove unhelpful in understanding
suicide epidemiology. This is generally the view that Samaritans takes.
However, this document highlights the differences in the collection and
presentation of suicide statistics across the UK and ROI, which seems
unnecessary and unhelpful in a group of nations so socially, economically

and politically linked. The most obvious of these differences is between

the UK and ROI since suicide is defined differently (see page 5-6).
However, even within the UK, the constituent nations statistics are not
directly comparable. Differences in the time it takes to register a death in
England & Wales compared to Northern Ireland or Scotland mean that
some annual figures reflect a truer picture of the occurrence of suicide
than others (see ONS, 2014). In this context, Samaritans would like to see
greater collaboration across the statistical agencies and consistency in the
collection and presentation of suicide statistics, to support the joining up
of suicide prevention efforts across the UK and ROI.

References:

Brugha, T. & Walsh, D. (1978). Suicide past and present the temporal constancy of under-reporting.
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 177-179.
Cantor, C. H., Leenaars, A. A., & Lester, D. (1997). Under-reporting of suicide in Ireland 1960-1989.
Archives of Suicide Research, 3, 5-12.
De Leo, D. (2002). Struggling against suicide. The need for an integrative approach. Crisis, 23, 2331.
De Leo, D. (2009). Cross-cultural research widens suicide prevention horizons (Editorial). Crisis, 30,
5962.
Gjertsen, F. (2000). Head on the mountainside accident or suicide? About the reliability of suicide
statistics.
Retrieved
on
22
Feb
2012
from
http://www.med.uio.no/klinmed/english/research/centres/nssf/articles/statistics/Gjertsen.pdf
Goldney, R. D. (2010). A Note on the Reliability and Validity of Suicide Statistics. Psychiatry,
Psychology and Law, 17(1), 52-56.
Office for National Statistics (ONS; 2014) Suicides in the United Kingdom,
2012 Registrations. Statistical Bulletin.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_351100.pdf
Sainsbury, P., & Jenkins, J. S. (1982). The Accuracy of Officially Reported Suicide Statsitics for
Purposes of Epidemiological Research. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 36(1), 43-48.
Silverman, M. M. (2006) The language of suicidology. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviour, 36,
519532.
Tllefsen, I. M., Hem, E., & Ekeberg, . (2012). The reliability of suicide statistics: A systematic review.
BMC Psychiatry, 12, 9-9. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-9

20

APPENDIX 1: Rate per 100,000 of deaths by suicide* in the UK 2010-2012

* Suicide as defined by the Office for National Statistics for coding and definition see Box 1, page 6.
Table 3. UK suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
UK
Rate per 100,000
for persons aged
15+

Rate per 100,000

by age group
(years):
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
11.0

Male
16.9

Female
5.2

Overall
11.8

Male
18.1

Female
5.6

Overall
11.6

Male
18.2

Female
5.2

Overall
4.1
10.2
9.5
11.8
13.6
14.9
14.3
13.9
12.5
10.1
7.1
7.5
7.7
9.3
8.9

Male
5.5
15.8
15.1
18.8
21.1
23.8
21.8
20.6
19.2
15.0
9.9
11.3
11.8
16.6
19.1

Female
2.7
4.5
4.0
4.8
6.2
6.2
6.9
7.3
6.0
5.4
4.5
4.1
4.3
4.3
4.1

Overall
4.9
9.9
11.2
12.4
15.3
16.7
15.3
15.7
12.4
9.7
7.5
7.9
7.7
8.8
9.1

Male
6.6
15.4
17.4
19.2
24.1
26.8
23.9
23.8
17.8
14.4
10.9
12.2
12.2
13.9
17.1

Female
3.1
4.3
4.9
5.7
6.7
6.8
7.0
7.7
7.1
5.1
4.4
4.1
4.0
5.3
5.3

Overall
4.2
9.4
11.7
12.2
14.3
16.1
16.3
15.7
12.9
9.5
7.6
6.8
7.0
8.0
9.4

Male
6.4
15.5
18.4
19.7
23.1
25.9
25.0
23.5
19.9
14.1
11.6
10.6
10.9
11.9
19.5

Female
1.9
3.2
5.1
4.8
5.5
6.6
7.9
8.0
6.1
5.1
3.8
3.4
3.8
5.2
4.5

21

Table 4. England suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
England
Rate per 100,000
for persons aged
15+

Rate per 100,000

by age group
(years):
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
9.8

Male
15.0

Female
4.7

Overall
10.4

Male
16.1

Female
4.9

Overall
10.4

Male
16.4

Female
4.5

Overall
3.2
8.4
8.1
9.9
12.4
13.2
12.3
12.7
11.7
9.9
7.0
7.1
7.5
8.8
8.5

Male
4.2
12.9
13.1
15.7
18.8
21.2
18.6
18.7
18.1
14.6
9.8
10.6
11.6
15.7
17.9

Female
2.1
3.8
3.0
4.2
6.0
5.4
6.1
6.6
5.4
5.3
4.4
3.9
4.2
4.0
4.0

Overall
3.7
8.3
9.0
10.1
12.9
14.7
14.1
14.8
11.5
8.9
7.2
7.8
7.6
8.5
9.7

Male
5.1
12.8
14.1
15.8
20.6
24.0
22.0
22.5
16.6
13.3
10.6
12.0
12.0
13.5
17.4

Female
2.3
3.7
4.0
4.3
5.3
5.7
6.3
7.2
6.6
4.6
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.9
6.0

Overall
3.5
8.3
9.8
10.1
12.6
14.7
15.1
14.3
12.1
8.5
7.1
6.6
6.2
8.1
9.0

Male
5.5
13.7
15.3
16.3
20.4
23.6
23.4
22.0
18.8
12.9
10.9
10.0
9.7
11.7
18.4

Female
1.5
2.7
4.3
3.9
4.8
5.9
7.1
6.7
5.5
4.2
3.6
3.6
3.3
5.5
4.3

22

Table 5. Wales suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
Wales
Rate per 100,000
for persons aged
15+

Rate per 100,000

by age group
(years):
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
11.5

Male
18.7

Female
4.5

Overall
13.9

Male
22.5

Female
5.6

Overall
13.5

Male
21.4

Female
5.8

Overall
2.0
9.7
7.6
14.6
14.2
15.0
18.2
14.2
14.9
8.4
6.1
7.5
8.4
16.5
14.9

Male
2.9
17.0
11.8
27.0
24.6
24.8
31.5
20.6
22.8
13.0
7.5
7.8
12.3
27.7
30.1

Female
*
*
3.3
*
4.2
5.5
5.4
8.0
7.3
3.9
4.8
7.2
5.1
8.6
7.9

Overall
8.1
12.2
14.0
12.6
16.0
24.9
17.2
17.3
14.4
13.2
5.9
8.9
3.7
17.6
*

Male
13.0
18.3
21.3
18.2
23.5
45.1
30.4
29.2
21.8
19.9
9.7
15.5
8.1
21.2
*

Female
3.1
5.8
6.5
6.9
8.8
5.5
4.5
5.8
7.3
6.7
*
*
*
15.1
*

Overall
4.1
9.3
11.3
24.2
17.9
16.7
17.2
12.1
13.3
14.3
9.9
7.3
12.7
8.7
14.3

Male
6.0
13.6
20.2
38.4
31.6
29.3
26.8
17.7
18.4
19.8
14.7
12.2
17.8
14.8
31.9

Female
*
4.7
*
10.1
4.6
4.7
8.0
6.6
8.3
9.1
5.4
*
8.4
*
5.8

23

Table 6. Scotland suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
2010
Old coding rules*

Scotland
Rate
per
100,000 for
all persons

2011
Old coding rules*

2011
New coding rules*

2012
Old coding rules*

2012
New coding rules*

All

Male

Female

All

Male

Female

All

Male

Female

All

Male

Female

All

Male

Female

14.7

22.2

7.2

14.3

20.9

7.7

16.7

24.3

9.0

14.0

20.8

7.1

15.3

22.8

7.8

Male
*
16.4
30.8
36.0
33.5
24.1
13.8
16.2
*

Female
*
6.7
10.9
13.6
12.2
8.8
6.6
4.5
*

All
*
11.7
23.1
26.9
26.2
16.2
8.3
9.7
*

Male
*
17.5
35.9
41.2
36.6
24.1
13.8
16.2
*

Female
*
5.8
10.7
13.2
16.2
8.6
3.4
5.0
*

Rate
per
100,000 by
age
group
(years):
All
Male
Female
All
Male
Female
All
Male
Female
All
0-14
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
15-24 13.7
20.0
24
12.6
18.4
23
14.6
20.9
28
10.9
25-34 22.2
33.2
36
21.0
31.5
37
27.5
40.9
49
20.1
35-44 25.1
40.0
43
26.3
39.7
51
32.9
50.1
62
23.0
45-54 23.4
36.7
44
22.6
33.5
49
23.9
34.8
54
24.3
55-64 14.7
22.0
26
14.4
20.2
30
14.5
20.5
30
16.2
65-74 9.3
13.6
14
8.7
11.0
17
8.9
11.4
17
8.3
75-84 9.4
14.7
10
9.2
15.8
8
9.2
15.8
8
9.7
85+
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*See page 6 regarding changes to coding rules and guidance on where new and old rules are appropriate.

24

Table 7. Northern Ireland suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
Northern
Ireland
Rate per 100,000
for all persons

Rate per 100,000

by age group
(years):
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85-89
90+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
17.4

Male
27.1

Female
8.0

Overall
15.9

Male
24.3

Female
7.9

Overall
15.2

Male
24.0

Female
6.8

Overall
0.8
16.2
38.6
22.6
23.9
21.4
30.1
32
22.9
13.3
15
8.8
11
11.8
5.4
9.9
21.1

Male
23.9
57.7
35.8
37.5
34.7
48.8
49.5
32.3
20.5
19.8
15.8
20.4
22.9
7.1
29.9
82.1

Female
1.7
8.3
18.8
9.4
10.2
8.2
12.2
15.3
13.9
6.2
10.5
2.4
2.9
3.5
4.3
-

Overall
2.5
17.6
24.8
29.6
32.3
20.6
21.3
15.9
17.0
22.0
16.0
14.4
6.3
5.9
10.9
14.1
-

Male
4.9
26.6
37.9
50.5
54.5
28.6
28.0
19.9
27.5
31.9
21.7
20.0
13.5
4.5
21.2
42.2
-

Female
8.2
11.3
9.4
11.3
13.0
14.9
12.0
6.7
12.0
10.4
9.3
7.0
4.5
-

Overall
4.3
11.3
21.0
32.8
21.3
22.8
20.8
15.8
30.7
18.5
12.8
15.1
6.1
5.8
5.4
4.6
-

Male
5.0
17.4
39.7
53.5
35.4
36.3
34.5
22.9
43.7
27.2
13.0
21.7
13.2
8.8
13.7
13.5
-

Female
4.9
1.6
12.6
8.0
9.9
7.5
8.9
18.0
9.7
12.7
9.0
3.4
0.0
-

25

APPENDIX 2: Number of deaths by suicide* in the UK 2010-2012

* Suicide as defined by the Office for National Statistics for coding and definition see Box 1, page 6.
Table 8. UK suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
UK
Number of
deaths for
persons aged
15+

Number of
deaths by age
group (years):
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
5,608

Male
4,231

Female
1,377

Overall
6,045

Male
4552

Female
1493

Overall
5,981

Male
4,590

Female
1,391

Overall
166
428
408
476
584
694
656
557
450
381
209
185
154
138
122

Male
113
334
321
379
449
548
496
410
341
278
141
131
106
100
84

Female
53
94
87
97
135
146
160
147
109
103
68
54
48
38
38

Overall
194
427
482
516
638
770
713
647
449
367
232
194
155
133
128

Male
134
335
375
398
498
611
549
486
319
268
163
141
111
86
78

Female
60
92
107
118
140
159
164
161
130
99
69
53
44
47
50

Overall
164
407
505
517
577
737
766
664
476
344
253
169
143
123
136

Male
128
339
395
415
465
584
578
492
362
250
188
124
101
76
93

Female
36
68
110
102
112
153
188
172
114
94
65
45
42
47
43

26

Table 9. England suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
England
Number of
deaths for
persons aged
15+

Number of
deaths by age
group (years):
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
4,200

Male
3,165

Female
1,035

Overall
4,509

Male
3,415

Female
1,094

Overall
4,507

Male
3,483

Female
1,024

Overall
106
295
292
342
449
516
471
421
348
311
171
145
125
109
99

Male
71
228
237
270
340
410
353
310
267
226
116
103
87
80
67

Female
35
67
55
72
109
106
118
111
81
85
55
42
38
29
32

Overall
123
298
330
355
454
572
548
507
346
281
185
159
128
107
116

Male
86
233
257
279
361
461
424
383
246
207
132
116
91
71
68

Female
37
65
73
76
93
111
124
124
100
74
53
43
37
36
48

Overall
116
300
358
363
430
563
594
503
369
256
199
136
106
104
110

Male
92
252
280
293
348
448
453
384
284
191
148
97
75
63
75

Female
24
48
78
70
82
115
141
119
85
65
51
39
31
41
35

27

Table 10. Wales suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
Wales
Number of
deaths for
persons aged
15+

Number of
deaths by age
group (years):
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
288

Male
225

Female
63

Overall
341

Male
270

Female
71

Overall
334

Male
257

Female
77

Overall
4
20
14
25
27
32
40
28
28
17
10
10
9
13
11

Male
3
18
11
23
23
26
34
20
21
13
6
5
6
9
7

Female
1
2
3
2
4
6
6
8
7
4
4
5
3
4
4

Overall
16
26
26
22
29
53
38
35
27
27
10
12
4
14
2

Male
13
20
20
16
21
47
33
29
20
20
8
10
4
7
2

Female
3
6
6
6
8
6
5
6
7
7
2
2
0
7
0

Overall
8
20
21
43
31
35
38
25
25
28
18
10
14
7
11

Male
6
15
19
34
27
30
29
18
17
19
13
8
9
5
8

Female
2
5
2
9
4
5
9
7
8
9
5
2
5
2
3

28

Table 11. Scotland suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
Scotland
2010
2011
2011
2012
Old coding rules*
Old coding rules*
New coding rules*
Old coding rules*
Number of
deaths for
all persons
All
Male Female
All
Male Female
All
Male Female
All
Male Female

Number of
deaths by
age group
(years):
0-14
15-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75-84
85+

2012
New coding rules*

All

Male

Female

781

581

200

772

555

217

889

639

250

762

557

205

830

608

222

All
*
94
147
182
180
96
44
28
*

Male
*
70
111
139
136
70
30
18
*

Female
*
24
36
43
44
26
14
10
*

All
*
87
141
192
178
96
42
28
*

Male
*
64
104
141
129
66
25
20
*

Female
*
23
37
51
49
30
17
8
*

All
*
101
184
240
188
97
43
28
*

Male
*
73
135
178
134
67
26
20
*

Female
*
28
49
62
54
30
17
8
*

All
*
75
137
163
193
107
42
30
*

Male
*
57
103
124
130
78
33
21
*

Female
*
18
34
39
63
29
9
9
*

All
*
81
157
190
208
107
42
30
*

Male
*
61
120
142
142
78
33
21
*

Female
*
20
37
48
66
29
9
9
*

*See page 6 regarding changes to coding rules and guidance on where new and old rules are appropriate.

29

Table 12. Northern Ireland suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
Northern
Ireland
Number of
deaths for all
persons

Number of
deaths by age
group (years):
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85-89
90+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
313

Male
240

Female
73

Overall
289

Male
216

Female
73

Overall
278

Male
215

Female
63

Overall
1
20
50
29
28
26
39
41
26
13
14
7
7
6
2
2
2

Male
15
38
23
22
21
31
31
18
10
9
6
6
5
1
2
2

Female
1
5
12
6
6
5
8
10
8
3
5
1
1
1
1
-

Overall
3
22
31
37
39
25
28
21
20
22
15
12
4
3
4
3
-

Male
3
17
24
31
32
17
18
13
16
16
10
8
4
1
3
3
-

Female
5
7
6
7
8
10
8
4
6
5
4
2
1
-

Overall
5
14
26
41
26
27
27
21
37
19
12
13
4
3
2
1
-

Male
3
11
25
33
21
21
22
15
26
14
6
9
4
2
2
1
-

Female
2
3
1
8
5
6
5
6
11
5
6
4
0
1
0
0
30

APPENDIX 3: Rate per 100,000 of deaths by suicide* in ROI 2010-2012

* Suicide as defined by the Central statistics Office Ireland for coding and definition see *note within Box 1, page 6.
Table 13. Republic of Ireland suicide rates for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
ROI
Rate per 100,000
for persons aged
15+

Rate per 100,000

by age group
(years):
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
13.7

Male
22.7

Female
4.9

Overall
15.4

Male
25.9

Female
5.3

Overall
14.0

Male
23.3

Female
5.0

Overall
1.4
10.4
16.9
13.1
11.8
17.2
17.1
17.9
16.8
19.2
12.2
4.9
4.7
4.0
5.8
1.8

Male
2.0
15.6
31.9
22.6
18.4
30.4
27.1
32.0
25.4
29.9
15.8
7.4
8.1
6.7
11.0
-

Female
0.7
4.9
2.4
4.1
5.2
3.9
6.9
4.0
8.2
8.4
8.5
2.4
1.5
1.9
2.4
2.6

Overall
11.7
20.4
17.6
16.0
16.0
18.5
22.0
15.7
11.9
18.9
8.7
6.1
5.9
5.7
1.7

Male
18.8
34.3
29.1
25.1
25.8
30.7
35.7
28.5
18.9
32.1
14.0
12.7
13.0
14.1
5.4

Female
4.4
6.7
6.9
7.1
6.1
6.1
8.5
2.9
4.9
5.6
3.5
-

Overall
1.3
9.8
16.9
15.8
15.0
14.3
17.0
15.6
13.7
13.7
16.8
12.7
8.3
9.7
4.2
5.0

Male
1.3
14.2
28.9
23.2
25.1
22.6
29.7
24.8
23.9
21.0
30.0
21.0
15.5
18.9
10.2
15.5

Female
1.3
5.2
5.0
9.0
5.5
6.0
4.2
6.5
3.6
6.4
3.6
4.4
1.5
1.8
31

APPENDIX 4: Number of deaths by suicide* in ROI 2010-2012

* Suicide as defined by the Central statistics Office Ireland for coding and definition see *note within Box 1, page 6.
Table 14. Republic of Ireland suicide numbers for all persons, males and females and by age group, 2010-2012
ROI
Number of
deaths for
persons aged 15+

Number of
deaths by age
group (years):
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+

2010

2011

2012

Overall
491

Male
402

Female
89

Overall
554

Male
458

Female
96

Overall
507

Male
413

Female
94

Overall
4
30
55
50
45
62
55
54
45
46
26
8
6
4
4
1

Male
3
23
51
42
35
55
44
48
34
36
17
6
5
3
3
-

Female
1
7
4
8
10
7
11
6
11
10
9
2
1
1
1
1

Overall
33
61
64
63
58
61
67
43
29
41
15
8
6
4
1

Male
27
51
51
49
47
51
54
39
23
35
12
8
6
4
1

Female
6
10
13
14
11
10
13
4
6
6
3
-

Overall
4
27
47
54
59
52
57
48
38
34
37
23
11
10
3
3

Male
2
20
40
38
48
41
50
38
33
26
33
19
10
9
3
3

Female
2
7
7
16
11
11
7
10
5
8
4
4
1
1
32