Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Mar 1995

Vol. 449 No. 8

Written Answers. - Suicide Statistics.

Ivor Callely

Question:

77 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health the number of suicides recorded in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4610/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The number of suicides in Ireland from 1942-93, classified by age and sex, is provided in the attached table.

Number of reported suicides 1942-1993 by age and sex.

Year	0-14Years	Total0-14	15-34Years	Total15-34	35-54Years	Total35-54	55+Years	Total55+	AllAges	TotalAllAges
	M	F		M	F		M	F		M	F		M	F
1942	0	0	0	15	8	23	17	11	28	28	4	32	60	23	83
1943	0	0	0	9	6	15	18	8	26	29	8	37	56	22	78
1944	0	0	0	10	1	11	25	5	30	33	3	36	68	9	77
1945	0	0	0	13	5	18	21	7	28	21	4	25	55	16	71
1946	0	0	0	14	3	17	20	5	25	33	4	37	67	12	79
1947	0	0	0	9	4	13	14	7	21	31	7	38	54	18	72
1948	0	0	0	19	2	21	23	3	26	17	4	21	59	9	68
1949	0	0	0	10	3	13	25	11	36	25	5	30	60	19	79
1950	0	0	0	11	2	13	27	6	33	25	5	30	63	13	76
1951	0	0	0	8	8	16	29	3	32	24	5	29	61	16	77
1952	0	0	0	5	3	8	20	6	26	28	4	32	53	13	66
1953	0	0	0	7	3	10	17	4	21	26	5	31	50	12	62
1954	1	0	1	11	3	14	20	2	22	16	6	22	48	11	59
1955	0	0	0	12	4	16	19	5	24	23	5	28	54	14	68
1956	1	0	1	10	4	14	28	3	31	26	4	30	65	11	76
1957	0	0	0	7	2	9	20	8	28	31	5	36	58	15	73
1958	0	0	0	9	4	13	21	4	25	30	9	39	60	17	77
1959	0	0	0	10	1	11	25	7	32	20	9	29	55	17	72
1960	1	0	1	7	3	10	23	10	33	28	12	40	59	25	84
1961	0	0	0	15	2	17	29	11	40	27	5	32	71	18	89
1962	0	0	0	8	2	10	17	5	22	16	4	20	41	11	52
1963	0	0	0	9	6	15	16	6	22	28	5	33	53	17	70
1964	0	0	0	11	2	13	14	2	16	23	6	29	48	10	58
1965	0	0	0	6	0	6	20	2	22	18	5	23	44	7	51
1966	0	0	0	8	4	12	14	3	17	30	10	40	52	17	69
1967	0	0	0	10	4	14	18	7	25	26	7	33	54	18	72
1968	0	0	0	13	5	18	22	6	28	21	4	25	56	15	71
1969	0	0	0	3	1	4	18	9	27	17	4	21	38	14	52
1970	0	0	0	13	1	14	12	4	16	19	3	22	44	8	52
1971	0	0	0	17	5	22	24	10	34	18	7	25	59	22	81
1972	0	0	0	19	5	24	21	13	34	25	7	32	65	25	90
1973	0	0	0	20	8	28	23	12	35	33	9	42	76	29	105
1974	0	0	0	34	7	41	30	10	40	28	9	37	92	26	118
1975	0	0	0	42	15	57	32	15	47	30	14	44	104	44	148
1976	0	0	0	44	12	56	40	20	60	45	22	67	129	54	183
1977	1	0	1	45	16	61	28	22	50	24	15	39	98	53	151
1978	1	0	1	44	20	64	36	17	53	25	20	45	106	57	163
1979	1	0	1	62	15	77	32	14	46	50	19	69	145	48	193
1980	2	1	3	43	23	66	60	24	84	38	25	63	143	73	216
1981	0	0	0	64	17	81	56	29	85	38	19	57	158	65	223
1982	1	0	1	71	12	83	53	24	77	53	27	80	178	63	241
1983	2	0	2	94	23	117	50	26	76	56	31	87	202	80	282
1984	1	1	2	62	18	80	47	28	75	54	21	75	164	68	232
1985	1	0	1	95	14	109	51	24	75	69	22	91	216	60	276
1986	2	0	2	81	20	101	72	23	95	62	23	85	217	66	283
1987	0	1	1	68	15	83	54	21	75	63	23	86	185	60	245
1988	0	0	0	97	19	116	36	32	68	62	20	82	195	71	266
1989	0	0	0	83	15	98	77	21	98	53	29	82	213	65	278
1990	4	0	4	95	32	127	85	29	114	67	22	89	251	83	334
1991*	1	0	1	109	22	131	76	26	102	66	18	84	252	66	318
1992*			2			159			106			87	296	58	354
1993*			5			149			111			92	291	66	357

*Provisional.

Notes

(1) Data relating to 1991, 1992 and 1993 are provisional: they relate to the year of registration rather than the year of occurrence (as is the case with final figures). In addition, it is likely that the number of suicides for these years will be revised upwards as deaths previously unclassified are reclassified as suicides as more information becomes available to the C.S.O.

(2) Data have been extracted from the Report on Vital Statistics (complied by the C.S.O.) for the relevant years.

(3) Considerable caution should be exercised in drawing inferences from data prior to the mid 1970's as it is generally accepted that there was significant under-recording of suicides until then. In the case of more recent data, the C.S.O. accepts that the true number of suicides could be underestimated by up to 20 per cent.