Suicide in Canada: Key statistics (infographic)
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Published: 2019-07-18
Deaths and hospitalizations
Approx. 11 people die by suicide each day
Approx. 4,000 deaths by suicide per year
1/3 of deaths by suicide are among people 45-59 years
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults (15-34 years)
Suicide rates are approx. 3x higher among men compared to women
Figure 1 - Death rates of suicide per 100, 000 population in 2016 (by age and sex)
| Sex | Count/Rate | 10 to 19 | 20 to 29 | 30 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 to 69 | 70 to 79 | 80+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | count 10yr | 135 | 443 | 450 | 563 | 644 | 399 | 175 | 130 |
| rate 10yr | 6.7 | 17.6 | 18.1 | 23.7 | 23.9 | 19 | 15 | 21.7 | |
| Females | count 10yr | 97 | 166 | 143 | 174 | 220 | 137 | 68 | 33 |
| rate 10yr | 5.1 | 6.8 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 8.2 | 6.3 | 5.2 | 3.5 |
Figure 2 - Hospitalization rates associated with self-inflicted injury per 100, 000 population in 2017-2018* (by age and sex)
| Age | Males | Females | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Rate | Count | Rate | |
| 10-19 | 815 | 49.2 | 3323 | 210.8 |
| 20-29 | 1177 | 58.4 | 1962 | 104.5 |
| 30-39 | 845 | 43.6 | 1149 | 58.9 |
| 40-49 | 839 | 45.8 | 1024 | 54.4 |
| 50-59 | 799 | 39.2 | 982 | 47.6 |
| 60-69 | 398 | 24.5 | 490 | 28.6 |
| 70-79 | 222 | 23.9 | 179 | 17.3 |
| 80+ | 114 | 24.1 | 117 | 16.5 |
- Footnote *
-
Excludes Quebec hospitals
Suicide Thoughts, Plans and Attempts
Thoughts
11.8% report thoughts of suicide in their lifetime
2.5% report thoughts of suicide in the past year
Plans
4.0% report having made suicide plans in their lifetime
7% of people in lowest income quintile vs. 3% of people in highest income quintile
Attempts
3.1%Footnote * report having made a suicide attempt in their lifetime
Suicide attempts are approx. 3X higher among people born in Canada than immigrants to Canada
- Footnote *
-
Estimates are for the population in Canada aged 15 years and older.
The Public Health Agency of Canada analyzed data from Statistics Canada Vital Statistics Database, the Canadian Institute of Health Information Discharge Abstract Database, and Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey (2016). Published data underestimate the total number of reported deaths, attempts, plans and thoughts of suicide, due to the stigma and other factors.
Help is available
- 9-1-1
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
- Text CONNECT to 686868
- Chat Services [6 pm–2 am EST]: www.kidshelpphone.ca
- Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366
- Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
- Online chat: www.hopeforwellness.ca
- Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
- Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 [24/7]
- For Quebec residents: [24/7] 1-866-APPELLE
Contact a crisis centre near you:
Additional resources:
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