2003a), Suicide in New Zealand I: time trends and epidemiology

In recent years there has been increasing public and professional interest in the issue of suicide in New Zealand.1,2 This interest has largely been motivated by concerns about New Zealand’s high rates of youth suicide in comparison with international statistics. Despite this public interest, there have been relatively few attempts to provide accessible summary data on what is, and what is not, known about suicide in New Zealand. This is the first of two articles that attempt to address, in summary form, a series of key issues relating to suicidal behaviour. This article examines the basic epidemiology of suicidal behaviours in New Zealand including: (a) time trends; (b) gender differences; (c) age differences; and (d) differences in terms of ethnicity. A second article will examine risk factors for suicidal behaviour and approaches to suicide prevention for young people (age <25), and for adults (age ≥25).3 Time trends in suicide, 1950–199