Suicide rates in England and Wales reach highest level since 1999

Ministers have been urged to treat suicide as a public health crisis after the rate at which people killed themselves in England and Wales reached the highest level in more than two decades.

The official figures, described by the suicide prevention charity Samaritans as “worse than expected”, showed 6,069 suicides were registered in the two nations in 2023, up from 5,642 in 2022 and the highest rate since 1999.

Three-quarters of the deaths were of males, but the female suicide rate reached its highest level since 1994, according to the annual Office for National Statistics figures.

“Rates increased across all age groups compared to 2022, especially among those aged 45 to 64 years,” said Vahé Nafilyan, the head of data and analysis for social care and health at the ONS.

Samaritans called on the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to “commit to proper investment for suicide prevention with the same ambition that we have seen drive down smoking rates”.

Jacqui Morrissey, the assistant director of influencing at Samaritans, said: “These figures are the final wake-up call: suicide is preventable but not without real action.”

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Source: The Guardian, 29 August 2024