Men are three times more likely to commit suicide that women

The rate of suicides in the UK increased in 2013, with the level among males its highest since 2001 and middle-aged men most at risk, according to the latest data. 

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 6,233 suicides of people over the age of 15 were registered in 2013, 252 more than in 2012, which represents a 4% increase.

The male suicide rate has increased significantly since 2007, the ONS said, while female rates have stayed relatively constant and were consistently lower than those for men. In 1981, 63% of UK suicides were male, but in 2013 the figure was 78%. The proportion of male to female deaths by suicide has increased steadily since 1981.

“Hanging, strangulation and suffocation” was the most common method of suicide in 2013, accounting for 56.1% of male suicides and 40.2% of female suicides.

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