Share of population who had considered suicide in Australia FY 2021 by type and sex

Suicidal thoughts and behaviours in the survey refer to whether a person had ever seriously thought about taking their own life, made a plan to take their own life, or attempted to take their own life, and whether they had done so in the last 12 months.

A person may have had more than one mental disorder.

* A person must have said they had seriously thought about taking their life to be then asked if they had made a plan or attempt to take their own life. Rates for ‘Any suicidal thoughts or behaviours’ are therefore the same as for ‘Thoughts’.

Study included all usual residents in Australia living in private dwellings in both urban and rural areas in all states and territories, except very remote parts of Australia and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The exclusion of residents in special dwellings (e.g., hotels, boarding houses, and institutions) and homeless people means the results are likely to underestimate the prevalence of mental health disorders in the Australian population.