Media Release 3 November 2024
The Ministry of Justice has released the provisional suicide statistics for New Zealand for the year ending 30th June 2024. The total is 617 suicides, which is 51 suicides more than the 566 suicides reported in 2023. These statistics are provisional, until released by the Chief Coroner.
The male suicide rate was 15.9 per 100,000 population, increasing from 14.9 in 2022. The suicide rate for women was 6.4 per 100,000, increased from 5.9 the previous year. The suicide rate for Maori people was 16.4 per 100,000, up from 16.3 in 2022. The age group with the highest suicide rate remains those people aged 20 to 24, with a rate of 19.9 per 100,000, increasing from 19.6 in 2023.
To our shame, New Zealand continues to have the second highest youth suicide rate of the 41 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Suicide is self-murder, and is an intrinsically evil action. It is always wrong and is a violation of the fifth commandment, You shall not kill.
Each of these deaths by suicide was preventable and are a tragedy for the family and for our community.
Right to Life, commends the Mental Health Minister, Hon. Matt Doocey, who is responsible for the government’s second 5 year “Suicide Prevention Action Plan” commencing in 2025.
The Minister stated, “Achieving our overarching vision of a future where there is no suicide in New Zealand will not happen overnight, but I am confident this next action plan will move us closer to our goal”
Right to Life asks the Minister, “How can we achieve your vision where there is no suicide in New Zealand, when your government is fully funding doctors for up to $3,000 for each patient to assist them to suicide as a “health service” under the End of Life Choice Act? [EOLC Act]
The Ministry of Health is currently conducting a review of the EOLC Act 2019. Right to Life believes that the architect of the euthanasia legislation, David Seymour MP, leader of the ACT Party, will be orchestrating amendments to empower doctors to increase the number of vulnerable patients who may be killed with a lethal injection or assisted in suicide.
The Ministry of Health, which presides over the killing of patients as a “health service”, has a dedicated team to oversee the administration of the EOLC Act 2019 to ensure that every New Zealander, no matter where they live, will have access to having a doctor administer a lethal injection or assist in suicide if they comply with the criteria of this immoral Act.
Right to Life fully supports the government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, with its achievable objective of no suicides in New Zealand. But this goal will not be achieved until the End of Life Choice Act 2019 is repealed.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc.