One Stats More Than Deaths According In 500 Cso Year, To Suicide

More than 500 suicide deaths in one year, according to CSO stats — Reported Deaths Cso Almost Quarters By Were Men Said Of In The Suicide Three

Tue, 14 Nov, 2023 - 13:52

Sean Murray

There were 504 deaths from suicide in Ireland in 2020, according to new Central Statistics Office data, an 8.7% increase on the initial figure provided in the CSO’s annual reports.

The CSO said discrepancies between its initial data and latest figures occur due to the way some deaths are reported in Ireland. All deaths due to external causes here are referred to the coroner’s court which can create a lag as to when these deaths are registered and may not appear in the CSO’s initial data.

“This impact can be particularly pronounced regarding suicide statistics,” CSO statistician Seán O’Connor said. In the CSO's initial vital statistics annual report, there were 465 suicides reported, but this rose to 504 when further data was added in.

Mr O’Connor said almost three quarters (72.6%) of deaths by suicide were reported in men. While a far greater number of men die by suicide according to the statistics, the proportion of deaths among women has been increasing over the last decade.

Seven in 10 deaths were attributed to those aged 35 years and over. The age group with the highest proportion were among those aged 40 to 44. Nearly one in every 10 deaths due to suicide in 2020 were to those aged 65 and older.

“Death due to suicide was the number one cause of death in 2020 for those aged 15 to 34 years of age,” Mr O'Connor said.

There were 504 deaths by suicide in Ireland in 2020, but late registrations impact comparability across yearshttps://t.co/5F1qsvIQLd #CSOIreland #Ireland #VitalStatistics #VitalStats #Births #Deaths pic.twitter.com/BB31scH26z
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) November 14, 2023

This weekend, national suicide bereavement charity Hugg will hold a remembrance event in Dublin to remember loved ones who have died by suicide.

Founder and CEO Fiona Tuomey said: “It cannot be overstated that publicly acknowledging our loved ones who died by suicide is not only important in reducing the self-stigma and shame felt by many, but it is an essential part of learning to live with a traumatic loss.

“A person who died by suicide is not ‘lesser than’ any other person who has died. This is why we ask people to ‘say their name’ and why we are holding the event.”

Suicide risk 80 times higher for those previously hospitalised for self-harm

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