Quarterly suicide death registrations in England: 2001 to 2022 registrations and Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) to Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2023 provisional data

• In Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2023 there were 1,406 suicide deaths registered, in Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2023 there were 1,322 suicide deaths registered, and in Quarter 3 (July to Sept 2023 there were 1,412 suicide deaths registered in England.
• This is equivalent to provisional rates of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 (Quarter 1), 10.6 deaths per 100,000 (Quarter 2) and 11.2 deaths per 100,000 (Quarter 3), respectively; this is statistically similar to rates in the same quarters of 2022.
• In Quarters 1 to 3 2023, London had the lowest suicide rate of any region of England (7.2, 6.6 and 6.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 in Quarters 1, 2 and 3, respectively), while the highest rates were in the North West (15.9, 14.7 and 15.5 suicide deaths per 100,000 in Quarters 1, 2 and 3, respectively).
• For suicides, the median registration delay was 198 days in Quarter 3 2023, which is the same as Quarter 3 2022.

If you are a journalist covering a suicide-related issue, please consider following the Samaritans' media guidelines on the reporting of suicide because of the potentially damaging consequences of irresponsible reporting. In particular, the guidelines advise on terminology and include links to sources of support for anyone affected by the themes in the article.

If you are struggling to cope, please call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK and the Republic of Ireland) or contact other sources of support, such as those listed on the NHS help for suicidal thoughts webpage. Support is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, providing a safe place for you, whoever you are and however you are feeling.

Of the 4,140 suicides registered in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar), Quarter 2 (Apr to June) and Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2023 in England, 28.1% of these had a date of death that was also in 2023 (1,165 deaths). This is in line with expectations, given coroner involvement with the investigation of these deaths, and the amount of time it takes to hold an inquest. The median registration delay in England was 196, 201 and 198 days in Quarters 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

In Quarter 1 2023, 3.0% of the 1,406 suicides registered had a date of death in the same period (42 deaths). The remaining deaths occurred in 2022 or earlier (97.0%).

In Quarter 2 2023, 3.3% of the 1,322 suicides registered had a date of death in the same period (43 deaths). The remaining deaths occurred in Quarter 1 2023 (21.3%) or earlier (75.4%).

In Quarter 3 2023, 2.5% of the 1,412 suicides registered had a date of death in the same period (35 deaths). The remaining deaths occurred in Quarter 1 2023 (28.2%), Quarter 2 2023 (25.8%) or earlier (43.5%).

Suicide

This release is based on the National Statistics definition of suicide. This definition includes all deaths from intentional self-harm for persons aged 10 years and over. It also includes deaths where the intent was undetermined for those aged 15 years and over. For further information on the definition used, see our Suicides in England and Wales statistical bulletins.

Registration delay

In England and Wales, all deaths caused by suicide are certified by a coroner following an inquest and cannot be registered until the inquest is completed. This process can take months, and in some cases, years. The registration delay refers to the time lag between the date of death (that is, when the death occurred) and the date the death was registered. For further information on the impact of registration delays, see Section 7: Quality characteristics of the suicides in the UK data in our Suicide rates in the UK Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) report.

Age-specific mortality rate

The total number of deaths per 100,000 people of an age group, used to allow comparisons between specified age groups.

Age-standardised mortality rate

Age-standardised mortality rate in this bulletin refers to a weighted average of the age-specific mortality rates per 100,000 people, and is standardised to the 2013 European Standard Population. They allow for differences in the age structure of populations and therefore allow valid comparisons to be made between geographic areas, the sexes and over time. For more information, see Section 8: Methods used to produce the suicides in the UK data in our Suicide rates in the UK QMI.

Data source

Statistics on mortality come from the information provided when deaths are certified and registered. This release uses the National Statistics definition of suicide, which is consistently used by government departments, agencies, and the devolved administrations across the UK.

For deaths caused by suicide, around half of the deaths registered each year will have occurred in the previous year, or earlier, because of the length of time it takes to hold a coroner's inquest. For further information on registration delays and their impact, see our Suicide rates in the UK Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) report.

Quarterly rates

Calculation of mortality rates for quarterly deaths requires adjustments to be made to annual population estimates, to calculate rates that are comparable with annual rates. Further information is detailed in our accompanying Deaths caused by suicide by quarter in England datasets.

Quality

For more quality and methodology information on strengths, limitations, appropriate uses, and how the data were created, see our Mortality statistics in England and Wales QMI and Suicide rates in the UK QMI. Further details are available in our User guide to mortality statistics.

This release aims to monitor suicide death registrations in England, based on the best available provisional data.

Strengths

• Quarterly age-standardised mortality rates allow for differences in the age structure of populations and therefore allow valid comparisons to be made over time and between geographic areas and sexes.
• Rates are included to aid interpretation, such as whether changes are statistically meaningful; this is especially important when interpreting low numbers of deaths, which are prone to random fluctuation and volatility over time.
• We only refer to groupings that have at least 20 deaths; for these, reliable age-standardised rates can be calculated, reducing the likelihood of the findings being a result of chance; rates have been marked as unreliable where there are fewer than 20 deaths in our accompanying datasets.
• Suicide deaths are compiled using information supplied when a death is registered, which gives complete population coverage.

Limitations

• Quarterly registrations data for 2023 are provisional and may be subject to changes once annual death registrations are complete; data for 2023 will be finalised in the annual Suicides in England and Wales bulletin in autumn 2024.
• For 2012 to 2021, revisions have been made to suicide rates because of rebasing of official population estimates; as a result, historical estimates for this year are not directly comparable with previously published figures.

For further details on the strengths and limitations of suicide registration figures, see our Suicide rates in the UK Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) report.