According to the latest available data, Statistics Canada estimates 4,157 suicides took place in Canada in 2017, making it the 9th leading cause of death, between Alzheimer's disease (8th) and cirrhosis and other liver diseases (10th). In 2009, there were an estimated 3,890 suicide deaths.Statistics Canada. Suicides and rate of suicide according to sex and age, Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada; 2017. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/hlth66a-eng.htm. (Accessed 2011 Jan 13).Statistics Canada. Leading causes of death, total population, by age group, Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada; 2017. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310039401 (Accessed 2019 May 31).
According to Statistics Canada, in the period from 1950 to 2009, males died by suicide at a rate three times that of women. The much higher rate of male suicide is a long-term pattern in Canada. At all points in time over the past 60 years, males have had higher rates of suicide than females.Statistics Canada. Suicide rates: An overview, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2012001/article/11696-eng.htm (Accessed 2016 Dec 17).
During 1999–2003, the suicide rate among Nunavut males aged 15 to 19 was estimated to exceed 800 per 100,000 population, compared to around 14 for the general Canadian male population in that age group.
Suicide rate over time
Rates of suicide in Canada have been fairly constant since the 1920s, averaging annually around twenty (males) and five (females) per 100,000 population, ranging from lows of 14 (males, 1944) and 4 (females, 1925, 1963) to peaks of 27 (males, 1977, 1982) and 10 (females, 1973). During the 2000s, Canada ranked 34th-highest overall among 107 nations' suicide rates.
+Suicide rates (per 100,000 residents) in Canada, by year, 1950–2008 Canadian Suicide RatesYearRate (both sexes) 1950 8.8 1951 7.9 1952 7.7 1953 7.1 1954 7.2 1955 7.0 1956 7.6 1957 7.5 1958 7.4 1959 7.1 1960 7.6 1961 7.5 1962 7.2 1963 7.6 1964 8.2 1965 8.7 1966 8.6 1967 9.0 1968 9.8 1969 10.9 1970 11.3 1971 11.7 1972 12.0 1973 12.2 1974 12.7 1975 12.1 1976 12.5 1977 14.0 1978 13.4 1979 13.9 1980 13.7 1981 13.7 1982 14.0 1983 14.8 1984 13.4 1985 12.6 1986 14.1 1987 13.6 1988 13.1 1989 12.8 1990 12.2 1991 12.8 1992 13.1 1993 13.3 1994 12.9 1995 13.5 1996 12.3 1997 12.3 1998 12.3 1999 13.4 2000 11.8 2001 11.9 2002 11.6 2003 11.9 2004 11.3 2005 11.6 2006 10.8 2007 11.0 2008 11.1 2009 11.5 2010 11.6 2011 11.3 2012 11.3 2013 11.5 2014 12.0 2015 12.3 2016 11.0 2017 11.3
Demographics and locations
Canada's incidence of suicide – deaths caused by intentional self-harm divided by total deaths from all causes – averaged over the period from 2000 to 2007 for both sexes, was highest in the northern territory of Nunavut, and highest across the country within the age group from 45 to 49 years.
By region and gender Canadian males experience two periods over their lives when they are most likely to die by suicide—in their late forties, and past the age of ninety—for females there is a single peak, in their early fifties. The peak male rates are 53% above the average for all ages, while for females, the peak is 72% greater.
With 86.5 suicides per 100,000 population in 2006, males' rates over the age of 74 in Russia exceed by threefold Canadian males' rate among the same age cohort. However, Nunavut males of all ages exceeded the elderly Russian male rate by 30%.World Health Organization, WHO: Suicide rates, http://www.who.int/entity/mental_health/media/russ.pdf (Accessed August 22, 2011). During 2000–2007, there were between 13 and 25 male suicides recorded annually in the Nunavut territory, accounting for between 16% and 30% of total annual mortality.Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 102-0563. Leading causes of death, total population, by sex, Canada, provinces and territories, annual.
In Nunavut, suicide among Inuit is 10 times higher than the Canadian suicide rate.Chachamovich, Eduardo, and Monica Tomlinson. 2013. "Nunavut Suicide Follow Back Study: Identifying the Risk factors for Inuit Suicide in Nunavut." Canada: Douglas Mental Health University Institute. Lay summary via CBC. In 2019, Nunavut's suicide rate was reported to be the highest in the world.Epstein, Helen. October 10, 2019. "The Highest Suicide Rate in the World." The New York Review of Books. +Age-standardized suicide rate (per 100 000 population), by province or territory. All ages, average over 2000-2007 Both sexes Males Females Canada 10.90 17.04 4.96 Alberta 13.13 19.81 6.41 British Columbia 9.73 14.95 4.68 Manitoba 12.04 18.04 6.13 New Brunswick 11.95 19.78 4.38 Newfoundland and Labrador 8.54 14.75 2.54 Northwest Territories 18.66 32.35 4.99 Nova Scotia 9.29 15.58 3.34 Nunavut 71.00 113.69 26.26 Ontario 7.86 12.16 3.80 Prince Edward Island 8.86 14.94 3.01 Quebec 15.20 24.05 6.53 Saskatchewan 11.46 17.83 5.19 Yukon 15.30 26.84 3.91
By age group Among Canadians aged 15 to 24, suicide ranked second among the most common causes of death during 2003–2007, accounting for one-fifth of total mortality.Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 102-0561. Leading causes of death, total population, by age group and sex, Canada, annual. In the 45 to 54 age group, its rank was fourth over these years, the cause of 6 per cent of all deaths. +Age-standardized suicide rate (per 100,000 population), according to age at death. All Canadians, average over 2000–2007. Both sexes Males Females All ages 11.48 17.81 5.24 1–4 0.00 0.00 0.00 5–10 0.01 0.01 0.00 10–14 1.61 1.71 1.54 15–19 9.53 13.75 5.06 20–24 13.24 20.84 5.26 25–29 12.15 19.26 4.88 30–34 13.09 20.48 5.60 35–39 15.76 24.36 7.00 40–44 16.56 25.49 7.56 45–49 17.86 26.96 8.78 50–54 17.26 25.63 9.03 55–59 14.99 22.98 7.15 60–64 12.31 19.40 5.46 65–69 10.73 16.50 5.33 70–74 10.38 17.54 4.20 75–79 11.33 21.30 3.84 80–84 9.76 19.74 3.55 85–89 10.80 25.74 3.43 90 and over 9.64 27.84 3.21
+ Suicides in Canada by age (both sexes) from 2007 to 2011NHS Profile, Canada, 2011 Retrieved May 22, 2014Suicides and suicide rate, by sex and by age group (Both sexes no.) Retrieved May 22, 2014 Both sexes Males Female Age Population Suicides Rate Age Population Suicides Rate Age Population Suicides Rate 10 to 14 years1,920,3551441.510 to 14 years983,995781.5910 to 14 years936,360661.41 15 to 19 years2,178,1359919.115 to 19 years1,115,84570212.5815 to 19 years1,062,2952895.44 20 to 24 years2,187,4501,41112.920 to 24 years1,108,7751,08519.5720 to 24 years1,078,6703266.04 25 to 29 years2,169,5901,32812.2425 to 29 years1,077,2751,01018.7525 to 29 years1,092,3153185.82 30 to 34 years2,162,9051,36512.6230 to 34 years1,058,8101,04519.7430 to 34 years1,104,0953205.8 35 to 39 years2,173,9301,60414.7635 to 39 years1,064,2001,23023.1235 to 39 years1,109,7353746.74 40 to 44 years2,324,8752,00517.2540 to 44 years1,141,7201,52126.6440 to 44 years1,183,1554848.18 45 to 49 years2,675,1302,37917.7945 to 49 years1,318,7151,80427.3645 to 49 years1,356,4205758.48 50 to 54 years2,658,9652,23116.7850 to 54 years1,309,0301,65725.3250 to 54 years1,349,9405748.5 55 to 59 years2,340,6351,77615.1855 to 59 years1,147,3001,29322.5455 to 59 years1,193,3354838.09 60 to 64 years2,052,6701,18511.5560 to 64 years1,002,69086817.3160 to 64 years1,049,9853176.04 65 to 69 years1,521,7157009.265 to 69 years738,01054714.8265 to 69 years783,7051533.9 70 to 74 years1,153,06558310.1170 to 74 years543,43547317.4170 to 74 years609,6301103.61 75 to 79 years922,70048910.675 to 79 years417,94539819.0575 to 79 years504,755913.61 80 to 84 years702,07036810.4880 to 84 years291,08530320.8280 to 84 years410,985653.16 85 years and over645,51532410.0485 years and over208,30024023.0485 years and over437,215843.84 Total33,476,68518,88511.28Total16,414,22514,25517.37Total17,062,4604,6305.43
Military
An internal study of suicide rates among Canadian Forces staff deployed over the period 1995 to 2008 found the rate for males in the Regular Forces to be approximately 20% lower than that among the general population of the same age.
However, mortality analysis of 2,800 former Canadian Forces personnel revealed statistically significant, higher likelihoods of death by suicide. The rate of suicide amongst former military personnel was 46% higher for males and 32% higher for females, relative to the civilian population. Released Canadian Forces males in the 16 to 24 age group showed the greatest deviations, with suicide rates more than two-fold in excess of their general population cohort.
Among Indigenous peoples
Suicide rates across First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities continue to be considerably higher than that of non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. A Statistics Canada survey from 2011 to 2016 found that, when comparing suicide rates of Indigenous peoples to the rest of the Canadian population, First Nations people had a suicide rate three times higher, Metis had an estimated rate two times higher, and Inuit communities were found to face a suicide rate as much as 9 times higher than the national average.
When comparing Indigenous suicide rates by band from 2011 to 2016, the survey found that "over 60% of the First Nations bands had zero suicide rates." It showed 71% to 80% of bands located in British Columbia, Ontario, Yukon and Northwest Territories had a suicide rate of zero; in contrast, bands in the Atlantic provinces and Saskatchewan had a proportion of 55% while bands in the rest of the provinces had proportions between 39% and 44%.
Suicide has been acknowledged by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples as "one of the most urgent problems facing Aboriginal communities"."The term Aboriginal People refers to the indigenous inhabitants of Canada when describing in a general manner the Inuit, and First Nations (Indians), and Métis people, without regard to their separate origins and identities." The report described numerous aspects of the magnitude of the problem.
In a 2002 article published in the Emergency Medicine journal, researchers reported that there was a two- to seven-fold differential in suicide mortality rates among Indigenous peoples in Canada relative to the general population. The rate of suicide among Aboriginal people of Canada exceeded the two- to three-fold elevations reported among Indigenous peoples in other countries of British colonization, including Australia and the United States.
In 2006, Health Canada reported that suicide rates were "five to seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-Aboriginal youth" and that suicide rates among Inuit youth "were among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average".
In their 2007 report, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) noted that while the suicide rate in Canada overall had declined, for Aboriginal people, particularly Aboriginal youth, the rates had continued to rise. "From the ages of 10 to 29, Aboriginal youth on reserves are 5 to 6 times more likely to die of suicide than their peers in the general population. Over a third of all deaths among Aboriginal youth are attributable to suicide. Although the gender difference is smaller than among the non-Aboriginal population, males are more likely to die by suicide, while females make attempts more often."
In 2013, James Anaya, the UN's special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, stated he was deeply concerned by the suicide rate in aboriginal communities. He noted particularly that in Pukatawagan, there has been a suicide every six weeks since January 2013. Since 2009, "there have been as many as 27 more suicides at Pukatawagan, which is home to 2,500 residents." The "suicide rate among youth on reserves is 'alarming' at a rate five times greater than that of all Canadians".