Between 1991 and 2008, the number of suicides in people aged 15 years and over in the United Kingdom fell. Despite a sharp increase of 538 from 1997 to 1998, figures continued to fall until 2007. In 2008, the number of suicides increased by 329 from the previous year (5,377) to 5,706.
There are more suicides among males than females. Male suicide rates peaked at 21.1 per 100,000 in 1992 and 1998 and then declined until 2007. The rate increased from 16.8 per 100,000 in 2007 to 17.7 per 100,000 in 2008.
Suicide rates for women have been consistently much lower than rates for men and have experienced a steadily downwards trend. The rate was highest in 1991 and 1992 at 6.7 per 100,000 and was lowest in 2007 at 5.0 per 100,000. In 2008, the female suicide rate increased to 5.4 per 100,000.
Suicide rates by sex and age-group, United Kingdom, 1991-2008
In the early 1990s the highest suicide rates in the UK were among men aged 75 years and over. Rates in this age group have since decreased from 25.1 per 100,000 in 1991 to 14.0 per 100,000 in 2008, now the lowest rate across the three male age bands. Since 1997, the highest rates have been in men aged 15-44, peaking in 1998 at 24.0 per 100,000 and then steadily decreasing. In 2008, the rate for this age group increased to 18.6 per 100,000 from 17.6 per 100,000 in 2007. Suicide rates among men aged 45-74 have fluctuated less throughout the period and increased from 16.0 in 2007 to 17.0 per 100,000 in 2008.
Women aged 75 years and over show a similar trend to men in the same age group, with the highest rate over the period at 9.4 per 100,000 in 1993, falling to 4.5 per 100,000 in 2008. Since 2004, the highest suicide rates among women have been in those aged 45-74. In 2008, the rate for this age group was 6.1 per 100,000. Suicide rates in women aged 15-44 were consistently the lowest across the 1991-2007 period, but increased to 4.9 per 100,000 in 2008 from 4.2 per 100,000 in 2007.
Source: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
Notes: Rates are based on deaths registered each year and are directly age-standardised using the European Standard Population.
Suicide has been defined as deaths given an underlying cause of intentional self-harm or injury/poisoning of undetermined intent. In England and Wales, it has been customary to assume that most injuries and poisonings of undetermined intent are cases where the harm was self-inflicted but there was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves. For comparability, this definition has been used across all countries of the UK.
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Health Statistics Quarterly