Suicides at Highest Rate Since 1999: ONS

People walking in windy conditions on London Bridge in London, on Aug. 23, 2024. Yui Mok/PA Wire

The number of suicides registered in England and Wales is at its highest rate in two decades, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

Last year there were 6,069 suicides in the two countries, representing a rate of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 2022 (10.7) and the highest since 1999 when the rate was 11.5, according to data published on Thursday.

Around three quarters of suicides were among men, which the ONS said has been the case since the mid 1990s. That rate has increased from 16.4 in 2022 to 17.4 in 2023 and is the highest rate since 1999, when it was at 18.2.

While the rate for women was lower, it was at its highest last year (5.7) since 1994 (also 5.7).

Age-specific suicide rates had increased across all groups compared to 2022, but were highest for men aged 45 to 49 (25.5) and for women aged 50 to 54 (9.2).

There was also a noted geographical difference in deaths by suicides, with London having the lowest rate of any region, at 7.3, but with the northwest having more than double that rate at 14.7 deaths per 100,000 people.

Vahe Nafilyan, head of data and analysis for social care and health at the ONS, said, “Suicide leaves a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities, and we will continue to monitor suicide registrations, to support work to protect vulnerable people at risk.”

‘Worse Than Expected’

The charity Samaritans said the figures were “shocking” and “even worse than expected.”

Jacqui Morrissey, assistant director of influencing at Samaritans, said: “With suicide rates at their highest in over 20 years, this should be treated as a public health crisis.

“Based on these figures, over 900 people will have died by suicide in the 55 days since the new government took power but while we immediately heard about plans for more wind turbines, it is suicide prevention that has been left blowing in the wind. The Government needs to get its priorities straight because lives depend on it,” Morrissey said in a statement.

“In particular, local areas must not be left scrabbling around for the funding they need to save lives, with a deadly north-south divide now opening up as rates in the North West hit twice that of London,” she added, calling on the government to use the Autumn Budget to commit to proper investment in suicide prevention.

Responding to the figures, a Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said: “Every suicide is a tragedy and these figures show a clearly worrying trend, which this government is committed to reversing.

“We know that people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need. That’s why we will fix our broken health system to ensure that we give mental health the attention and focus it deserves.

“Alongside acting to improve mental health support, we will work across government to tackle the underlying causes of unequal health outcomes including suicide, across the country.”

Men Facing ‘Silent Health Crisis’

The figures come after the Local Government Association (LGA) called for the creation of a national men’s health strategy in England to tackle a range of gender-specific health concerns, including high suicide rates.

David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s community wellbeing board, said last week, “Men in England are facing a silent health crisis, dying nearly four years earlier than women with high rates of cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and suicides.”

Suicide rate in England and Wales. PA Wire

In its report on men’s health and wellbeing, the LGA called for local suicide prevention funding to be reinstated, after a £57 million fund to help councils provide aid to those at risk of suicide ended in March of this year.

Fothergill said local council programmes aimed at tackling other health concerns faced by men were making progress, but that there needed to be a national effort for men, similar to the 10-year health strategy launched by the government for women in 2022, which aims to improve how the health care system interacts with women and girls.

“We are calling for men’s health to be recognised as a national concern, and for the government to implement a men’s health strategy,” Fothergill said.

He added, “Innovative local initiatives led by councils are making strides, but national action is needed to help close the life expectancy gap.”

A DHSC spokesperson said the government’s 10 Year Plan for Health “will outline how we will ensure men are able to access the support and targeted interventions they need.”

“Our plans to reduce obesity, improve cancer survival rates, and enhance mental health services will also help to tackle the main drivers of poor health in men,” the spokesperson said.

Samaritans can be contacted for free on 116 123 (UK and the Republic of Ireland) or other sources of support can found on the NHS website.

PA Media contributed to this report.