The Office of the Chief Coroner today released the annual provisional suspected suicide statistics.
In the year to June 30 2023, 565 people died by suspected suicide and the rate was 10.6 people per 100,000.
The rate for the 2022-2023 year is lower than the average rate over the last 14 years, and lower than the rate immediately prior to Covid-19 in the 2018-2019 financial year, which was 13.1 per 100,000 people.
In the year to June 30 2022, 538 people died by suspected suicide, a rate of 10.2 deaths per 100,000.
Suicide Prevention Office acting director Sarah Hetrick said the change is not statistically significant.
"New Zealand remains in step with international data that shows no change or a decrease in rates of suicide over the past several years."
She said Māori continue to be disproportionately negatively affected.
"The provisional rate of suspected suicide for Māori is 15.8 per 100,000 people for the 22-23 financial year, and this has not changed compared with the average over the past 14 years."
There was a "statistically significant" reduction in the rate per 100,000 people for Pacific populations, which is now 5.1 per 100,000 people, compared with the average of the past 14 years.
Hetrick said the information was published "as an important way to understand how we are progressing towards and Aotearoa that does not experience suicide".
"However, first and foremost we must acknowledge the devastating impact on whānau bereaved by this experience.
"Everything we do is motivated by this reality and we are working hard to ensure fewer whānau and friends are left grieving.”
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