Samaritans Cymru calls for a step change in suicide prevention, as Wales records the highest annual suicide rates in England and Wales
Responding to today’s ONS data on Suicides in England and Wales: 2024, Neil Ingham, Samaritans Executive Director for Wales said:
“Every death by suicide is a human tragedy. Each of these deaths reflects the heartbreaking loss of an individual life, alongside the devastating impact on all those connected to them.
“Today’s figures across Wales are a major cause for concern, where there were 436 suicide deaths registered* in 2024, an increase from 386 in 2023.
“Behind these deeply concerning numbers are real people and many more devastated families, friends and communities that the statistics do not show.
“Over three in four suicides in Wales registered in 2024 were men (77.2%), with middle-aged men having the highest suicide rate of any group. Suicide is preventable, and targeted interventions to support men in their middle-age could help stop them from reaching crisis point.
“Welsh Government published their positive Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy in April this year, today Samaritans Cymru are calling on the Welsh Government and all political parties before the election next May, to commit to ambitious resourcing of targeted suicide prevention activities across Wales, community level projects reaching the people at most risk.
“No-one can assume that they will not be affected by suicide, so it’s vital everyone knows that support is available. One in four of us will experience suicidal thoughts at some point in our lives. If that’s you – now or in the future – Samaritans is available 24/7, free, on 116 123.”
The data published today by the ONS data is available here.
Key highlights for Wales include:
- In 2024, the suicide rate in Wales (15.7 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people) was higher than in England (11.1 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people), this was an increase in Wales with the rate in 2023 being 14.0 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people.
- The increase in the suicide rate was seen for both males and females in Wales, with 25.0 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people for males in 2024, compared with 22.0 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people in 2023. For females in Wales, the suicide rate showed a small increase from 6.3 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people in 2023 to 6.8 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people in 2024.
- All deaths by suicide in England and Wales are certified by a coroner and cannot be registered until an inquest is complete. This results in a delay between the date the suicide occurred and the date it is registered and received by the Office for National Statistics (ONS); for example, in 2024, of the suicide deaths registered, only 38.7% of the deaths actually occurred in that year, compared with 67% in 2002, when a much higher proportion of registrations reflected suicides from the same year. The median registration delay for suicides for Wales in 2024 was 269 days, for England it was 199 days.
