Suicide and intentional self-harm hospitalisations among young people

Deaths by suicide among young people

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15–24 years (See Deaths in Australia, Leading causes of death). The proportion of all deaths that are deaths by suicide is relatively high among children and young people. This is because people in these age groups do not tend to die from other causes. Data are presented by year of registration, which is not necessarily the same as the year the death occurred. For more information, see Technical notes.

In 2023:

• 298 Australian young people (aged 18–24 years) took their own lives.
• 94 deaths by suicide occurred among children and adolescents (aged 17 and below) with the majority occurring in those aged 15–17 (71.3%).
• Deaths by suicide represented 31.8% of all deaths in young people aged 15–17 years and 33.1% of all deaths in those aged 18–24 years – up from 16.5% and 23.9% respectively of all deaths in these age groups in 2001. 
• In children aged 14 and below, the proportion of all deaths that are deaths by suicide is low compared with the two older age groups. In 2023 deaths by suicide represented 2.0% of all deaths in children aged 14 and below.

Throughout 2001 to 2023:

• Rates of death by suicide were highest among young adults aged 18–24 years (12.6 per 100,000 population in 2023) compared to both adolescents aged 15–17 years (6.9 in 2023), and children aged 14 years and below (0.6 in 2023).
• Rates of death by suicide among 18–24-year-olds decreased between 2001 and 2009 (15.9 per 100,000 population to 10.3). Then, overall, suicide rates for this age group increased until 2020 (16.6). After which, there was a decrease to 2023 (12.6). However, it is important to note that 2022 and 2023 data are preliminary and subject to change through the ABS revisions process.
• Rates of death by suicide among 15–17-year-olds ranged between a low of 3.2 per 100,000 population in 2004 and a high of 9.2 in 2018.

Intentional self-harm hospitalisations among young people

The data presented here are for children and young people aged below 24 years, grouped into 3 age ranges: 14 years and below, 15–19 years and 20–24 years. For children, especially those aged under 10 years, it is difficult to determine whether a self-inflicted injury was done with intent to self-harm.

Young people have the highest rates of hospitalisation for intentional self-harm

In 2023–24:

• The rate for young people aged 15–19 years was 256 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, the highest of all age groups (including older age groups not in this visualisation).
• The age-specific hospitalisation rate due to intentional self-harm was lower among people aged 20–24 years (182 per 100,000), and the lowest was for children aged 14 years and below (31 per 100,000 population).
• The age-specific rate was highest for females aged 15–19 years (405 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), followed by females aged 20–24 years (253 per 100,000 population).
• Rates for young males were generally lower compared to females within age groups. The lowest rate was for males under 14 years (7.2 hospitalisations per 100,000 population). Males in the 15–19 and 20–24 age groups each had the same rate of intentional self-harm hospitalisations (114 per 100,000 population).

Rates of intentional self-harm hospitalisations for young females remain high compared to males of same age

From 2008–09 to 2023–24:

• While the rates of intentional self-harm hospitalisations in females remain high compared to males of the same age, there has been a decline in the last couple of years, most notably in young females aged 15–19.
• There appears to be an age effect for females aged 15–19 that is not observed in males. Unlike males of the same age, the rate of female intentional self-harm hospitalisations in this age group differs considerably from those aged 20–24.
• Male rates for the age group 15–19 years have largely remained flat over time, with less variability compared to females of the same age.

Analysis of intentional self-harm hospitalisations by age and sex shows the following:

• Females aged 14 years and below: There has been a 3-fold increase in the rate of intentional self-harm hospitalisations (from 19 hospitalisations per 100,000 population to 56).
• Females aged 15–19 years: The rate rose from 374 hospitalisations per 100,000 population in 2008–09 to 703 in 2020–21 and then lowered to 405 in 2023–24.
• Females aged 20–24 years: The rate was lower in 2023–24 than in 2008–09 (295 and 253 per 100,000 population, respectively). The rate increased to its highest in 2020–21 (375 per 100,000 population). Females and males aged 20–24 years are the only age groups with an overall decrease since 2008–09.
• Males aged 15–19 years: An increase was observed from 124 hospitalisations per 100,000 population to a peak of 180 in 2016–17, before an overall decrease to 114 in 2023–24.
• Males aged 20–24 years: There was an overall decrease from 149 in 2008–09 to 114 per 100,000 population in 2023–24, after peaking at 185 in 2016–17.

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Supplementary tables

• Deaths due to suicide 2023 – National Mortality Database
• Hospitalisations for intentional self-harm 2023–24 – National Hospital Morbidity Database
  
  

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