The Scottish suicide rate was 20 per 100,000 population. For males, the suicide rate was 32, for females it was 10 per 100,000 population. Wales 288 suicides in 1997 - 214 males and 74 females. The Welsh suicide rate was 12 per 100,000 population. For males, the suicide rate was 19, for females it was 6 per 100,000 population.
Data includes deaths by injury undetermined whether accidental or purposeful.
PMR uses the proportion of deaths due to suicide in a particular group and compares this figure to an average for the total population. It gives an indication of suicide risk in a particular group. The numbers of suicides in some occupational groups, particularly for women, are very low and this can result in extremely high or extremely low PMRs so the statistics should be treated with caution. It is commonly accepted that high stress, together with easy access to means, are important factors which put people in certain occupations at greater risk of dying by suicide. There were 240 suicides amongst this group between 1991 and 1996 - an average of 40 per year or 1 every 9 days.