Suicide Mortality by Place, Gender, and Age Group - China, 2010-2021

Suicide is an important public health concern in China. We examined suicide mortality by place, sex, and age group from 2010 to 2021 to identify and quantify significant suicide mortality changes in China.

We retrieved age-standardized and age-specific suicide mortality rates by place (urban vs. rural) and sex from the Chinese Health Statistical Yearbook and population data from the 2010 and 2020 Chinese National Population Census. Line graphs were used to demonstrate trends in suicide mortality. Joinpoint regression models were fitted to detect the time periods experiencing significant suicide mortality changes, and average annual percent change (AAPC) and annual percent change were reported to quantify changes in suicide mortality from 2010 to 2021.

The overall age-standardized suicide mortality rate decreased from 10.88 to 5.25 per 100,000 population between 2010 and 2021 (AAPC=-5.3%, 95% confidence interval: -6.5%, -4.0%). Similar reductions in suicide mortality were observed for both males and females, as well as in urban and rural settings during this period. From 2010 to 2021, significant declines in suicide mortality were observed among the three older age groups (25-44 years, 45-64 years, and 65 years or above), while a substantial increase was noted in the youngest age group (5-14 years). No significant change was found in suicide mortality rates for the 15-24 year age group. Subgroup analyses based on location and sex revealed consistent findings.

The findings of this study suggest a probable overall success of suicide prevention efforts in China over the past decade. However, the recent increase in suicide mortality among children aged 5-14 years calls for the attention of injury researchers, policymakers, and public health practitioners.