August 28, 2013
Suicide total bucks trend
Fewer young Māori men killed themselves last year than the year before, inspiring hope that long term trends could be reversed.
Provisional annual suicide figures for the year ending 30 June show a total of 541 suicides, six less than the previous year.
Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean says the annual total has been stubbornly consistent since records began in July 2007, with between 531 and 558 suicides a year.
However, he says Māori suicide has dropped for the first time, driven by a drop in the number of Māori male suicides from 94 to 72.
The total number of Māori suicides was 105, down from last year’s record high 132.
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