Overview
- The Office for National Statistics examined 2011/12 to 2021/22 and identified 4,315 suicides among 15- to 25-year-olds in England from a population base of 11,741,290.
- Rates were lowest early in the autumn term and highest just before summer holidays, with a peak of 0.78 deaths per 100,000 in the 23rd fortnight and a low of 0.56 in the seventh.
- Female rates peaked in early May at 0.53 per 100,000, whereas male rates peaked in early July at 1.26, with males accounting for 3,190 of the deaths and females 1,125.
- The ONS cautioned that fortnight-to-fortnight variability should be interpreted carefully due to small numbers and wide confidence intervals, and it did not assert a causal link with exams.
- For context, overall youth suicide rates increased by around 50% over the decade, with 440 deaths recorded in 2021/22 compared with 300 in 2011/12, according to the ONS analysis.