Leo Sher, M.D.

On September 3, 2019, the U.K. Office for National Statistics published a report, “Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations.” The report states that in 2018, a total of 6,507 suicides were registered in the U.K., 686 more suicide deaths than in 2017 when there were 5,821 suicide deaths. This indicates a statistically significant increase in the suicide rate, with 11.2 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2018, compared with 10.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2017.

The report indicates that the latest increase in the overall U.K. suicide rate is mostly driven by males. In 2018, the rate among males was 17.2 deaths per 100,000, up significantly from the observed suicide rate in 2017 which was 15.5 deaths per 100,000. Despite being higher, the 2018 suicide rate among females (5.4 deaths per 100,000) was not statistically different to that observed in 2017 (4.9 deaths per 100,000).

According to the report, the most frequent method of suicide in the U.K. was hanging, accounting for 59.4% of all suicides among males and 45.0% of all suicides among females. The second most frequent suicide method was poisoning, accounting for 17.9% of all suicides among males and 36.2% of all suicides among females.

Reference

1. Office for National Statistics. Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations. URL: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2018registrations/pdf