Suicide
Age differences
Across different age groups, over the three years 2003-2005, young people aged 15 to 24 had the highest rate of suicide (18.1 deaths per 100,000 population). In 2006, however, the highest rate of suicide (21.1 deaths per 100,000 population) occurred in the 25-29 age group. Among males in 2006 the highest rate was in the 20 to 24 age group (31.5 deaths per 100,000 population, compared to 28.3 for males aged 25 to 29).
Within the youth age group, young people aged 20 to 24 had higher rates in 2003-2005 than young people aged 15 to 19, and this pattern has been consistent over the last two decades.
| Three-year period | Age 15-19 | Age 20-24 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | |
| 1985–1987 | 17.8 | 4.7 | 11.4 | 31.7 | 8.8 | 20.5 |
| 1988–1990 | 29.1 | 4.9 | 17.2 | 45.9 | 10.2 | 28.3 |
| 1991–1993 | 26.9 | 3.7 | 15.5 | 51.9 | 8.3 | 30.3 |
| 1994–1996 | 31.5 | 12.1 | 22.0 | 50.3 | 12.4 | 31.5 |
| 1997–1999 | 29.2 | 16.2 | 22.9 | 44.6 | 9.3 | 27.1 |
| 2000–2002 | 20.0 | 9.5 | 14.9 | 37.4 | 7.5 | 22.6 |
| 2003–2005 | 22.7 | 9.3 | 16.2 | 29.4 | 10.5 | 20.1 |
Source: Ministry of Health, New Zealand Health Information Service. 2005 data is provisional.
However, across all age groups, women experience consistently higher rates of hospitalisation for intentional self-harm than men, suggesting that they make more non-fatal suicide attempts. (1)
Notes
1. Ministry of Health (2006). New Zealand Suicide Trends: Mortality 1921-2003, Hospitalisations for international self-harm 1978-2004. Monitoring Report No 10. Wellington: Ministry of Health, p. 21.
