Main points
- In 2024, there were 704 probable suicide deaths in Scotland, a decrease of 86 (11%) from 790 in 2023.
- Compared to 2023, male probable suicide deaths decreased by 71 (12%) to 518 deaths in 2024, while female probable suicide deaths decreased by 15 (7%) to 186 deaths.
- The rate of probable suicide mortality in males was 2.9 times the rate for females in 2024. Rates have been consistently higher for males since the series began, ranging from 2.6 to 3.6 times as high compared to females.
- The rate of probable suicide mortality in the most deprived areas in Scotland was 2.5 times as high as in the least deprived areas in Scotland.
- The gap between rates of probable suicide mortality between the most and least deprived areas has decreased since 2001, driven by lower rates in the most deprived areas.
- In 2024, age-specific rates of probable suicide mortality were highest for those aged between 25 and 64. The rates for these age groups were over twice as high compared to those aged over 75 or under 25.
- Since 2000, the average age at death for probable suicide deaths has generally increased, from 41.9 years in 2000 to 47.5 years in 2024. This is slightly younger than 48.2 in 2022, which represented the oldest average age at death since 1980.
How are probable suicides defined?
Coding for cause of death in Scotland is carried out according to the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-10 framework. Deaths with an underlying cause of one of the following ICD-10 categories are counted as probable suicides:
- X60-84 Intentional self-harm
- Y10-34 Events of undetermined intent
- Y87.0 Sequelae of intentional self-harm
- Y87.2 Sequelae of events of undetermined intent
We use the term ‘probable suicide’ in this report to reflect that these deaths include events of undetermined intent, as set out above.
Note: Sequelae refers to death occurring one year or more after the originating event.
More information is available in the background document.
If you are struggling to cope, help is available.
NHS inform has a list of resources available to anyone, with many of these available 24 hours a day.
Samaritans can be called for free on 116 123 (UK and Republic of Ireland) or contacted via email at jo@samaritans.org. Visit the Samaritans website for more information.
If you are a journalist covering these statistics in the media, please consider following the guidelines issued by Samaritans on the reporting of suicide.
Changes to 2023 figures
Please note that during the production of this publication, an error in the 2023 publication was identified. This error had resulted in two deaths being classed as due to intentional self-harm, and thus counted within these statistics, when they should not have been. This has been corrected within this edition of the report and data tables.
A notice explaining this has been added to the 2023 publication, however figures within the 2023 report have not been changed as they have been superseded by those within this 2024 report and tables.
Following the re-basing of historic population estimates, there have also been some small changes to historic probable suicide mortality rates reflected within the tables.
Probable suicide deaths in Scotland
In 2024, there were 704 probable suicide deaths in Scotland, a decrease of 86 (11%) from 790 in 2023 (Figure 1a).
Figure 1a: The number of probable suicide deaths fell in the most recent year to the lowest number since 2017
Number of probable suicide deaths, 1994-2024
The rate of mortality from probable suicides in Scotland was 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2024 (Figure 1b). This is a decrease from 14.4 per 100,000 people in 2023. However, due to the uncertainty around the annual estimates as represented by the 95% confidence intervals, this is not a statistically significant decrease from the rate in 2023.
Figure 1b: In 2024, the probable mortality suicide rate is lower than it was in the 1990s
Age standardised mortality rate for probable suicide deaths, 1994- 2024
Probable suicide deaths by age and sex
In 2024, there were 518 male probable suicide deaths, a decrease of 71 (12%) compared to 589 in 2023. There were 186 probable suicide deaths among females, a decrease of 15 (7%) from 201 in 2023.
The mortality rate for probable suicide deaths in 2024 was 2.9 times as high for males as it was for females. The rate for males has been consistently higher than females, ranging from 2.6 to 3.6 times as high since the series began in 1994 (Figure 2).
Figure 2: While the age-standardised mortality rate for probable suicide deaths for males has fallen since the 1990s, it is still significantly higher than the corresponding rate for females
Age-standardised mortality rate for probable suicide deaths, by sex, 1994-2024
Age-specific mortality rate refers to the total number of deaths per 100,000 people of a given age group. It is used because it allows comparisons between specified age groups of different sizes.
In 2024, age-specific rates of probable suicide deaths were highest for those aged between 25 and 64.
The rate for those aged 25 to 44 was higher than any other age group throughout the 1990s and 2000s and has fallen since then. Over the last decade, the rates for those aged 25 to 44 and 45 to 64 have been similar.
The rate for those aged 45-64 has fluctuated but remained relatively constant over time. (Figure 3).
Since 2000, the average age at death for probable suicide deaths has generally increased, from 41.9 years in 2000 to 47.5 years in 2024. This is slightly younger than 48.2 in 2022, which represented the oldest average age at death since 1980.
Figure 3: In 2024, age-specific mortality rates of probable suicide deaths were highest for those aged 25-44 and 45-64
Age-specific mortality rates of probable suicide deaths by age group, 1994-2024
Probable suicide deaths in Scottish areas
The numbers of suicides can fluctuate markedly from year to year, particularly for the smaller Health Board and Council areas. Therefore, in this section we use 5-year moving averages to mitigate the effects of year-to-year fluctuations and provide a better indication of the overall long-term trend than the figures for the individual years.
At health board level, the five-year average rate of probable suicide mortality for 2020-2024 was higher than the Scottish average (14.0 per 100,000 people) in NHS Tayside (17.7 per 100,000 people) and NHS Highland (16.7 per 100,000 people) (Figure 4).
NHS Lothian has a lower rate of probable suicide mortality than the Scottish average at 11.5 per 100,000 people. Rates for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Grampian and NHS Shetland are also estimated to be lower than the Scottish average, however, the differences between these areas and the Scottish average are not considered to be statistically significant as the confidence intervals around the estimates overlap. Please see ‘What are age-standardised mortality rates and confidence intervals?’ in Section 1 for more information on the uncertainty around estimates.
Some of the areas which have higher probable suicide mortality rates, such as NHS Orkney and NHS Western Isles, also have very wide confidence intervals due to the relatively smaller populations in these areas. This means that there is a greater amount of uncertainty around estimates for these areas, so comparisons must be made with great caution.
Figure 4: The probable suicide mortality rate was statistically significantly above the Scottish average in NHS Tayside and NHS Highland, and statistically significantly lower than the Scottish average in NHS Lothian
Age-standardised mortality rates of probable suicide deaths by NHS board area, 2020-2024 average
At council level, the age-standardised rates of probable suicide deaths were statistically significantly higher than the Scottish average in Dundee City, Highland, and North Lanarkshire (Figure 5).
Rates in several other areas, including Na h-Eileanan Siar, Orkney Islands, Moray, and East Ayrshire, were also estimated to be higher than the Scottish average for 2020-2024. Due to the confidence intervals around some of these estimates overlapping with the confidence intervals around the Scottish average, the differences are not considered statistically significant. This occurs more frequently for estimates for areas with smaller populations where the confidence intervals are particularly wide.
Rates were statistically significantly lower than the Scottish average in East Renfrewshire and City of Edinburgh council areas.
Figure 5: Probable suicide mortality rates were statistically significantly higher than the Scottish average in Dundee City, Highland, and North Lanarkshire
Age-standardised mortality rates of suicide deaths by council area, 2020-2024 average
Probable suicides by multiple deprivation quintile and urban-rural classification
The rate of probable suicide mortality in the most deprived areas in Scotland was 2.5 times higher than in the least deprived areas in Scotland in 2024. Data on age-standardised all-cause mortality by deprivation is not yet available for 2024, but in 2023 the mortality rate for all causes of death was 1.8 times greater in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas.
The probable suicide mortality rate in the most deprived areas was just over one third lower in 2024 than in 2001. This has driven a reduction in the gap between rates of probable suicide between the most and least deprived areas since 2001 (Figure 6).
Figure 6: The gap between probable suicide mortality rates in the most and least deprived areas has narrowed since the start of the millennium, largely driven by a decrease in rates in the most deprived areas
Age-standardised mortality rates in SIMD quintiles, 2001-2024
Generally there has been less of a clear pattern when comparing probable suicide mortality rates between more urban and more rural areas over time. Probable suicide mortality rates have been highest in remote small towns for most of the last decade (Figure 7).
In 2024, differences in mortality rates between more urban and more rural areas were not statistically significant. The highest probable suicide mortality rates were in remote small towns (15.5 deaths per 100,000 population) and remote rural areas (15.0 deaths per 100,000 population). The lowest rates were found in large urban areas (11.8 deaths per 100,000 population) and accessible rural areas (12.1 deaths per 100,000 population).
Figure 7: In 2024, mortality rates for probable suicide deaths were lowest in large urban areas and accessible rural areas
Age-standardised mortality rates by urban rural classification, 2011-2024
Method of death
Three fifths (60%) of all probable suicide deaths in 2024 were by hanging, strangulation or suffocation. This has been the most common cause for most of the last two decades, and the proportion of probable suicide deaths due to hanging, strangulation or suffocation has been increasing since 2011. Poisoning was the most common method between 1974 and the beginning of the new century. In 2024, almost two fifths (19%) of probable suicides were due to poisoning. The proportion of probable suicides that were due to poisoning has fallen substantially since 1974 (Figure 8).
Figure 8: Deaths by hanging, strangulation or suffocation continue to make up the largest proportion of probable suicide deaths
Method as a percentage of all probable suicides, 1974-2024
Probable Suicides in the UK
Please note that there are some differences in how Probable Suicides are counted across the UK, with more detail available within the pages linked below.
Broadly comparable suicide statistics for the rest of the UK for 2024 are yet to be released. In 2023, rates were highest in Scotland (14.4 per 100,000 population, compared to 12.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2024), followed by Wales (14.0 deaths per 100,000) and Northern Ireland (13.3 deaths per 100,000). England had a lower rate (11.2 deaths per 100,000).
Probable suicide death statistics in the rest of the UK are produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Links to the latest versions of these are available below.
Other information
If you are a journalist covering these statistics in the media, please consider following the guidelines issued by Samaritans on the reporting of suicide.
If you are struggling to cope, help is available.
NHS inform has a list of resources available to anyone, with many of these available 24 hours a day.
Samaritans can be called for free on 116 123 (UK and Republic of Ireland) or contacted via email at jo@samaritans.org. Visit the Samaritans website for more information.
Notes on statistical publications
These statistics are designated as Accredited Official Statistics. More information about Official Statistics can be found on the Statistics governance and consultation page.
We also provide information about upcoming publications on our website.
If you would like receive updates on our statistics, you can register your interest on the Scottish Government ScotStat website.
