Canadian Suicide Statistics

These statistics give easily accessible information regarding the motivations for suicide, rates by age and gender, and the scope of this issue through an estimated ratio of attempted suicides to completed suicides.

• Approximately 90% of those who commit suicide are suffering from depression, another mental illness or a substance abuse disorder, which could potentially be diagnosed and treated. [1]
• In 1998, in every age group, men had a higher suicide rate than did women. In 1998, the rate for Canadian males aged 10 or older was 23 suicides per 100,000 compared with 6 per 100,000 for females. [2]
• Between 2000 and 2004, the number of suicides in Canada in a given year ranged from a high of 3,765 in 2003 to a low of 3,606 in 2000. 3,613 people in Canada died by suicide in 2004. [3]

Suicides in Canada, by gender

Source: Statistics Canada, Suicides and suicide rate, by sex and by age group

• In that same time span, the age groups among which suicide is most common has consistently been the 35-49 age groups. [4]
• In Canada, suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 25 to 29 and 40 to 44, and for women aged 30 to 34. It is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 24. [5]

For each completed suicide there are 100 attempts, and over 23,000 Canadians are hospitalized each year for a suicide attempt. [6]