Main trends in Chile´s suicide rates: 1921-2020

Abstract

The main objectives of this article are to provide the longest ever series for any Latin American country on both the number and rate of suicides, from 1921 to 2020, identifying their main trends and changes in suicide mortality in both the short and the long term; and to disaggregate these series per gender and age groups, to identify the main patterns and changes over time for these variables, including changes in the gender gap. We found that during the last century there have been important changes in Chile’s suicide profile and its relative importance as cause of death. During the 1920s-1940s, around two in every 1.000 deaths (0.2%) were the result of suicide in Chile. That rate has been around tenfold higher (2%) during the last two decades. The current suicide rate for the country is above 10 suicides per 100.000 inhabitants, above the world average. The suicide rate for males during the last two decades is around 18, as against 3,6 for females: this is the largest gap ever observed since the 1920s. During the 2010s, over half of all suicides (53%) were committed by people aged 40 or above, an increase from 23% during the 1920s. Finally, an overwhelming majority of suicides in Chile are committed by males over 50 years old:  29% of all suicides during the 2010s (as against 10% in the 1920s).