Statistics on Suicide in Australia
Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44.
Deaths by suicide
- The overall suicide rate in 2015 was 12.6 per 100,000 in Australia. This is the highest rate in 10-plus years
- The most recent Australian data (ABS, Causes of Death, 2015) reports deaths due to suicide in 2015 at 3,027
- This equates to more than eight deaths by suicide in Australia each day
- Deaths by suicide in Australia occur among males at a rate three times greater than that for females. However, during the past decade, there has been an increase in suicide deaths by females
- The suicide rate amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is more than double the national rate. In 2015, suicide accounted for 5.2% of all Indigenous deaths compared to 1.8% for non-Indigenous people
Suicide attempts
- For every death by suicide, it is estimated that as many as 30 people attempt to end their lives
- That is approximately 65,300 suicide attempts each year

