Suicide: in the UK
Mortality rates from suicide (intentional self-harm and events of undetermined intent combined) are calculated separately for each country in the UK; by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for England and Wales; by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) for Northern Ireland; and by National Records of Scotland (NRS) for Scotland. Rates for the UK as a whole are compiled by the Office for National Statistics.
The most recent ONS bulletin Suicides in the United Kingdom, 2014 registrations compares the suicide EASRs for the different countries in the UK between the years 1981 and 2014. Chart 1 (view chart) shows the trend in each country based on the numbers in the bulletin. Prior to the mid-2000s, Scotland had a higher rate of suicide than the other parts of the UK. In recent years this gap has narrowed, with the suicide rate in Scotland generally falling while the rate in England has slightly increased.
Note that the standardised rates for Scotland in the ONS bulletin are larger than those presented on the other ScotPHO pages, as the calculation used in the bulletin excludes the under-ten age groups, while these are included in our numbers. In addition, procedural differences in England and Wales will influence the comparison. Unlike Scotland, in England and Wales, whether a death due to injury is classified as intentional or accidental depends on information provided by coroners. Narrative verdicts from coroners often do not provide information on whether the injuries were due to intentional self-harm, were accidental or were of undetermined intent. In these circumstances, coding rules mean that classification of the death defaults to 'accidental', and therefore suicides may be underestimated in England and Wales (and therefore also the UK). For further details please see Gunnell et al and the ONS bulletin Suicides in the United Kingdom, 2014 registrations.