3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2012 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/03/2014   
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KEY CHARACTERISTICS

There were 2,535 deaths from Intentional self-harm (suicide, (X60-X84, Y87.0)) in 2012, resulting in a ranking as the 14th leading cause of all deaths. Three-quarters (75.0%) of people who died by suicide were male, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for males. Deaths due to suicide occurred at a rate of 11.0 per 100,000 population in 2012.


Graph Image for SUICIDES(a), NUMBER OF DEATHS, 2003-2012(b)

Annotation(s): (a) Includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to suicide. See Explanatory Notes 92-94. (b) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2006-2010 (final), 2011 (revised) and 2012 (preliminary). See Explanatory Notes 29-33 and Technical Notes, Causes of Death Revisions, 2006 in Causes of Death, Australia, 2010 (cat. 3303.0) and Causes of Death Revisions, 2010 and 2011 in this publication.

Source(s): Causes of Death, Australia




Suicide as proportion of total deaths

While suicide accounts for a relatively small proportion (1.7%) of all deaths in Australia, it accounts for a greater proportion of deaths from all causes within specific age groups (see graph below). For example, in 2012, over a quarter of deaths of males in the 20-24, 25-29 and 30-34 year age groups were due to suicide (28.7%, 26.5% and 27.5%, respectively). Similarly for females, suicide deaths comprise a higher proportion of total deaths in younger age groups compared with older age groups (32.6% of deaths of 15-19 year olds and 25.2% of deaths of 20-24 year olds).


Graph Image for SUICIDES BY SELECTED AGE GROUPS, 2012

Footnote(s): (a) Includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to suicide. See Explanatory Notes 92-94. (b) Causes of death data for 2011 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Explanatory Notes 29-33 and Technical Notes, Causes of Death Revisions 2006, in Causes of Death, Australia, 2010 (cat. no. 3303.0) and Causes of Death Revisions 2010 and 2011 in this publication.

Source(s): Causes of Death, Australia