The suicide rate for Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander People in 2016 (23.8 per 100,000) is approximately twice as high as non-indigenous people (11.4 per 100,000). Using the ‘Years of Potential Life Lost’ (YPLL) measure of premature mortality, suicide was estimated to account for 74,610 potential years lost in males, 25,002 years in females, and 99,586 potential years of life lost for all persons in 2016. Suicide and age. Overall, the age-specific suicide rate in 2016 was highest in men aged 85 or above (34.0 per 100,000), which has been the age group with the highest rate since 2011. With the exception of those aged over 85, in 2016 age-specific suicide rates were highest among middle age men (i.e. 30 to 34 and 40 to 54 age groups). For females, 2016 data showed that the highest age-specific suicide rate was observed in the 50 to 54 year age group (10.4 per 100,000). The age group with the highest age-specific rates tends to vary in females, with the 50 to 54 age group the second highest in 2015. Age-specific suicide rates are lowest in those aged under 20 years of age across both genders. The 65 to 69 year age group are also low in females. For children (0 to 14 years), death by suicide is rare in Australia (0.3 per 100,000). Age-specific suicide rates in 2016 are low for both males (0.4 per 100,000) and females (0.3 per 100,000). Suicide and gender. Suicide is approximately three times higher in males, which is consistent across every state and territory of Australia. The ratio of male to female suicides rose from 2 to 1 in the 1960s to over 4 to 1 in the 1990s. Since the year 2000, the ratio of male to female suicides has been approximately 3 to 1. For males, in 2016 the most common mechanism of suicide was hanging (57.8 percent), followed by poisoning by drugs (9.8 percent) and then firearms (8.0 percent).
The suicide rate for Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander People in 2016 (23.8 per 100,000) is approximately twice as high as non-indigenous people (11.4 per 100,000). Using the ‘Years of Potential Life Lost’ (YPLL) measure of premature mortality, suicide was estimated to account for 74,610 potential years lost in males, 25,002 years in females, and 99,586 potential years of life lost for all persons in 2016. Suicide and age. Overall, the age-specific suicide rate in 2016 was highest in men aged 85 or above (34.0 per 100,000), which has been the age group with the highest rate since 2011. With the exception of those aged over 85, in 2016 age-specific suicide rates were highest among middle age men (i.e. 30 to 34 and 40 to 54 age groups). For females, 2016 data showed that the highest age-specific suicide rate was observed in the 50 to 54 year age group (10.4 per 100,000). The age group with the highest age-specific rates tends to vary in females, with the 50 to 54 age group the second highest in 2015. Age-specific suicide rates are lowest in those aged under 20 years of age across both genders. The 65 to 69 year age group are also low in females. For children (0 to 14 years), death by suicide is rare in Australia (0.3 per 100,000). Age-specific suicide rates in 2016 are low for both males (0.4 per 100,000) and females (0.3 per 100,000). Suicide and gender. Suicide is approximately three times higher in males, which is consistent across every state and territory of Australia. The ratio of male to female suicides rose from 2 to 1 in the 1960s to over 4 to 1 in the 1990s. Since the year 2000, the ratio of male to female suicides has been approximately 3 to 1. For males, in 2016 the most common mechanism of suicide was hanging (57.8 percent), followed by poisoning by drugs (9.8 percent) and then firearms (8.0 percent).
About-suicide_Suicide-data_accessible-v1-180418.docx