The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has today released its 2016 Causes of Death data - which includes annual national suicide information. The following summary has been developed by the Mindframe National Media Initiative www.mindframe-media.info

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander suicide data 2016

2. Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander suicide data 2016
Preliminary 2016 statistics indicated that:
• 162 (119 male, 43 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people died by suicide, which is slightly higher than the 152
recorded in 2015.
• Suicide was the 5th leading cause of death for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples across NSW, QLD, SA, WA and NT,
compared to the 15th leading cause of death for non-Indigenous
people in these states.
• In these states, the standardised death rate for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples (23.8 per 100,000) was more than
twice the non-Indigenous rate (11.4 per 100,000).

3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
suicide data 2012-2016
Between 2012-2016:
• 721 Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
people died by suicide.
• The age-standardised
rate was significantly
higher than the non-
Indigenous rate in SA,
WA, NSW, QLD and NT.
16.1
23.4
21.3
40.6
26.4
9.9
13.6
12.6 12.3
14.4
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
NSW QLD SA WA NT
Age-standardisedrateper(100,000)
States
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Non-Indigenous
Figure 1: Age-standardised rate of suicide from 2012 – 2016
Note: Rates for VIC, TAS, and ACT were not
available for publication due to small numbers,
but the number of deaths are included in the
total number of deaths above.

4. State specific Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander suicide data

5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
NSW 2016
2016 New South Wales specific statistics indicated that:
• 41 (35 male, 6 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people died by suicide.
• Suicide was the 5th leading cause of death for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples in the state, compared to the
17th leading cause of death for non-Indigenous people.
• The standardised death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders (18.6 per 100,000) was considerably higher than the
non-Indigenous rate (9.7 per 100,000).

6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
NSW 2012-2016
Between 2012-2016 in New South Wales:
• 150 (113 male, 37 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
deaths have been attributed to intentional self-harm, which
represents 3.9% of all causes of death.
• For Indigenous Australians in NSW, suicide is ranked 5th in the
leading causes of death.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
(16.1 per 100,000) in NSW was considerably higher than the
non-Indigenous population (9.8 per 100,000) for the same
period.

7. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
Northern Territory 2016
2016 Northern Territory specific statistics indicated that:
• 18 (14 male, 1 female, 3 gender unknown) Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide.
• Suicide was the 5th leading annual cause of death for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, compared to
the 4th leading cause of death for non-Indigenous
Australians in the Northern Territory.

8. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
Northern Territory 2012-2016
Between 2012-2016 in the Northern Territory:
• 106 (62 male, 44 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
deaths have been attributed to intentional self-harm, which
represents 4.1% of all causes of death.
• For Indigenous Australians in NT, suicide is ranked 5th in the
leading causes of death.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people (26.4 per 100,000) in NT was considerably higher than
the non-Indigenous population (14.4 per 100,000).

9. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
Queensland 2016
2016 Queensland specific statistics indicated that:
• 52 (37 male, 15 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people died by suicide.
• Suicide was the 5th leading annual cause of death for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, compared to the
10th leading cause of death for non-Indigenous Australians.
• The standardised death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders (22.8 per 100,000) was considerably higher than the
non-Indigenous rate (13.1 per 100,000).

10. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
Queensland 2012-2016
Between 2012-2016 in Queensland:
• 225 (172 male, 53 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
deaths have been attributed to intentional self-harm, which
represents 5.8% of all causes of death.
• For Indigenous Australians in Qld, suicide is ranked 4th in the
leading causes of death.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people (23.3 per 100,000) in Qld was considerably higher than
the non-Indigenous population (13.6 per 100,000).

11. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
Western Australia 2016
2016 Western Australia specific statistics indicated that:
• 47 (31 male, 16 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people died by suicide.
• Suicide was the 3rd leading annual cause of death for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, compared to the
12th leading cause of death for non-Indigenous people.
• The standardised death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples (43.9 per 100,000) was considerably higher
than the non-Indigenous rate (12.2 per 100,000).

12. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
Western Australia 2012-2016
Between 2012-2016 in Western Australia:
• 202 (144 male, 58 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
deaths have been attributed to intentional self-harm, which
represents 8.0% of all causes of death.
• For Indigenous Australians in WA, suicide is ranked 3rd in the
leading causes of death.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
(40.6 per 100,000) in WA was considerably higher than the
non-Indigenous population (12.3 per 100,000).

13. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander –
South Australia 2012-2016
Between 2012-2016 in South Australia:
• 37 (23 male, 14 female) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people deaths have been attributed to intentional self-harm,
which represents 4.4% of all causes of death
• For Indigenous Australians in SA, suicide is ranked 5th in the
leading causes of death.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples (21.3 per 100,000) in SA was considerably higher than
the non-Indigenous population (12.6 per 100,000).

14. Other states
• Limited data is available for VIC, TAS and the ACT
due to relatively small numbers.
• Between 2012 and 2016, the number of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths
attributed to suicide were:
– 32 in Victoria
– 5 in Tasmania
– 6 in the ACT.

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