Number of suicides in Canada
Canada: Number of suicides was 3,604 deaths in 2021. ▲ Rising
Number of suicides in Canada, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Canada recorded 3,604 deaths for number of suicides in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.3% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of suicides in Canada peaked at 4,797 deaths in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3,604 deaths, in 2021.
Canada ranks 25th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Number of suicides in Canada, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3,822 deaths | — |
| 2001 | 3,964 deaths | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 3,899 deaths | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 4,140 deaths | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 3,954 deaths | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 4,145 deaths | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 3,858 deaths | -6.9% |
| 2007 | 4,001 deaths | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 4,100 deaths | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 4,309 deaths | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 4,378 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 4,125 deaths | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 4,369 deaths | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 4,506 deaths | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 4,734 deaths | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 4,797 deaths | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 4,147 deaths | -13.5% |
| 2017 | 4,320 deaths | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 4,649 deaths | +7.6% |
| 2019 | 4,761 deaths | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 4,412 deaths | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 3,604 deaths | -18.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4,019 deaths | 3,822 deaths | 4,309 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,479 deaths | 4,125 deaths | 4,797 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,008 deaths | 3,604 deaths | 4,412 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 22 Italy 4,141 deaths compare
- 23 Spain 4,125 deaths compare
- 24 Philippines 4,047 deaths compare
- 26 Argentina 3,577 deaths compare
- 27 Mozambique 3,572 deaths compare
- 28 Iran, Islamic Republic of 3,545 deaths compare
More health data for Canada
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- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,083 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 385 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 3 (2025)
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- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 5,072 (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is number of suicides in Canada?
- Number of suicides in Canada was 3,604 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of suicides recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 4,797 deaths in 2015.
- What is the lowest number of suicides recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,604 deaths in 2021.
- How does Canada rank for number of suicides?
- Canada ranks 25th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is number of suicides rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of suicides. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths from self-harm in both sexes.