Downward suicide trend continues in Scotland

Suicide levels in Scotland have dropped, continuing a downward trend that has lasted almost a decade.

There were 14.7 probable suicides for every 100,000 people in Scotland in 2011.

This is down from 15 suicides per 100,000 in 2010 and 17.8 during the peak year in 2002.

A further breakdown of figures spanning the years 2009 and 2010 have also been released. There was 1,533 suicides in Scotland in the two years to December 2010, with 98 per cent of them Scottish residents.

The 1,107 Scottish men who had taken their own lives was almost three times higher than the number of women. People aged between 25 and 44 were the most common age group.