Statistics

Australian Bureau of Statistics
Suicide data 2007

http://www.mindframe-media.info/site/index.cfm?display=84340

In 2007, there were 1,881 registered deaths by suicide. Over three-quarter (77%) of these were male.

While suicide accounts for only a relatively small proportion (1.4%) of all deaths in Australia, it does account for a much greater proportion of deaths from all causes within specific age groups (see graph below). For example, in 2007, 21% of all male deaths under 35 years were due to suicide. Similarly for females, suicide deaths comprise a much higher proportion of total deaths in younger age groups compared with older age groups.

The median age at death for suicide in 2007 was 41.7 years for males and 44.5 years for females and 42.5 years for persons. In comparison, the median age for deaths from all causes in 2007 was 77.5 years for males and 83.5 years for females.

The highest age-specific suicide death rate for males in 2007 was observed in the 85 years and over age group (23 per 100,000 ). However, this number is inflated by the small population, and the relatively high number of deaths in this age group. As a proportion of total deaths in this age group, suicide deaths were relatively low (0.2%). The age-specific death rates for the 45-54 years age group were 18.7 per 100,000 males, and 20.8 per 100,000 males in the 35-44 year age group. Suicides as a proportion of total deaths for these age groups were 6.3% and 15% respectively. The age-specific suicide rate for males was lowest in the 15-24 years age group (12.5 per 100,000), however, this cause represented 20.2% of all deaths in this age group.

For females the highest age-specific suicide death rate in 2007 was observed in the 45-54 years age group and the 55-64 years age group both with 5.7 deaths per 100,000. The lowest age-specific death rate for female deaths was in the 75-84 years age group (3.3 per 100,000).

In 2007 the most frequent method of suicide was Hanging (X70), which was used in half (54%) of all suicide deaths. Poisoning by drugs was used in 12% and poisoning by other methods (including by motor vehicle exhaust) was also used in 12% of suicide deaths. Methods using firearms accounted for 8.9% of suicide deaths. The remaining suicide deaths included deaths from drowning, jumping from a high place, and other methods.