ABS Suicide Data 2025: What It Means for Australian Workplaces

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The ABS suicide data for 2025 tells a story that every Australian workplace should hear. Suicide was the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 44, the years when most of us are working, studying or raising families. Men accounted for almost three in every four deaths, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continued to be affected at more than three times the rate of other Australians, and suicide again caused more years of life lost than any other cause. Behind each number is a person, a family and a workplace. The encouraging part is that suicide is preventable, and much of what helps is within reach of ordinary people, managers and organisations.

At a glance

Working age is most affected: suicide was the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44 in 2025, and 82.2% of people who died by suicide were under 65.
Men are about three in four: 2,425 men (73.9%) and 858 women died by suicide. The male rate eased from 18.4 to 17.3 per 100,000, while the female rate rose from 5.6 to 6.0.
Years of life lost: suicide was again the leading cause of premature death, with 108,674 potential years of life lost, an average of 35.3 years per person.
First Nations communities: 320 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide, with a median age of just 33.8 years.
NSW: 916 people died by suicide, a rate of 10.3 per 100,000, which the ABS describes as the lowest in its ten year series for the state.
Risk factors: 84.5% of deaths had at least one risk factor recorded, most commonly psychosocial factors (72.4%), and 13.0% had an employment related risk factor.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released Causes of Death, Australia, 2025 on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Our October 2026 mental health news update covered the headline national figures: 3,283 deaths by suicide, an age-standardised rate of 11.6 per 100,000 (down slightly from 11.9 in 2024), and a concerning rise to 100 deaths among children and young people aged 5 to 17. This article looks deeper at what the release shows about who is most affected, and what that means for families, managers and organisations. All 2025 figures are preliminary and may be revised.

Understanding the ABS suicide data 2025: a working age issue

Suicide ranked 15th among all causes of death in Australia in 2025, but that ranking hides how heavily it falls on younger and middle aged people. For Australians aged 15 to 44, no other cause of death was more common. The median age of people who died by suicide was 45.0 years, compared with 81.9 years for all deaths.

Small group of Australian workers sitting in a circle during a supportive workplace mental health training session

The ABS also measures premature death through potential years of life lost, which counts how many years each person might otherwise have lived. Suicide accounted for 108,674 of those years in 2025 (78,539 for men and 30,145 for women), more than any other cause. On average, each death represented 35.3 years of life. The ABS notes that suicide again surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of premature death among women.

Why it matters: Most people aged 15 to 44 are at work, in training or caring for others, which means workplaces, schools, TAFEs and universities are among the places where distress is most likely to be noticed. A colleague or supervisor is often in a better position to see a change in someone than a health professional who has never met them. Equipping people in these settings to recognise when someone is struggling, and to have a supportive conversation, is one of the most practical forms of prevention available.

Men make up almost three in four deaths

In 2025, 2,425 men died by suicide, 73.9% of the total. The male age-standardised rate was 17.3 per 100,000, down from 18.4 in 2024. Men aged 45 to 49 had the highest age specific rate (26.8 per 100,000), and men aged 35 to 39 accounted for the largest share of male deaths.

The picture for women moved in the other direction. Some 858 women died by suicide, and the female rate rose from 5.6 to 6.0 per 100,000. Women aged 55 to 59 had the highest female rate (9.0 per 100,000).

The data also shows strong links with place and disadvantage. People living in remote and very remote areas had a rate of 21.4 per 100,000, compared with 9.8 in major cities, although the remote rate fell from 24.7 in 2024. People in the most disadvantaged fifth of areas had a rate 2.4 times higher than those in the least disadvantaged.

Why it matters: Men are less likely than women to seek help early, and they are heavily represented in industries such as transport, construction, mining and agriculture, often in regional areas. The ABS occupation data shows that among men, road and rail drivers recorded the highest number of suicides of any occupation group. Meanwhile, the rising female rate is a reminder that no group should be overlooked. Workplaces can make it easier for everyone to speak up by normalising conversations about mental health, training leaders to check in, and making support easy to reach, including for shift and remote workers.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

The ABS data shows that 320 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide across Australia in 2025. According to the Life in Mind summary of the ABS data, the median age at death was 33.8 years, more than a decade younger than for all suicide deaths, and the age-standardised rate across six jurisdictions was 34.8 per 100,000, the highest in the time series. In the five jurisdictions where comparisons can be made, the rate was more than three times that of non-Indigenous Australians (35.7 compared with 10.7 per 100,000). More than 30% of these deaths occurred in New South Wales, where 101 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide in 2025.

These figures need to be read with care and respect. Suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cannot be separated from the ongoing effects of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, racism and dispossession. Strong connection to culture, Country, family and community is protective, and the most effective prevention is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves. The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention was among the organisations that briefed media and stakeholders on this data.

Why it matters: Every community, school and workplace with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students or clients has a role in providing culturally safe support. That includes listening, respecting cultural ways of healing and making sure people know about services such as 13YARN, which is run by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. FME's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid course is designed to build culturally appropriate skills for supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

What the data shows for NSW and the states

In NSW, 916 people died by suicide in 2025 (669 men and 247 women), down from 938 in 2024. The NSW rate of 10.3 per 100,000 was below the national rate and, according to the ABS, the lowest in its ten year series for the state. Life in Mind notes that the rate in Greater Sydney is lower than in the rest of NSW, which reinforces the need for strong support in regional and rural communities.

Across the country, rates were highest in the Northern Territory (18.6 per 100,000) and Tasmania (17.7, up from 14.2 in 2024), and lowest in the ACT (7.7). Queensland recorded 13.4 and Western Australia 13.3, while Victoria (10.6) and South Australia (10.8) were close to NSW. Because smaller jurisdictions can see large swings from year to year, these comparisons should be treated with caution.

Why it matters: A falling rate in NSW is welcome, but it still represents more than 900 people and many more family members, friends and colleagues affected. Local organisations, councils and employers in regional NSW are especially well placed to strengthen early support.

Risk factors: suicide is rarely about one thing

The ABS records risk factors identified by coroners for each death. In 2025, 84.5% of deaths had at least one risk factor recorded, with an average of 4.7 per person. Psychosocial factors were present in 72.4% of deaths, mental and behavioural conditions in 65.6%, and physical health conditions in 60.2%.

The most common individual factors were mood disorders such as depression (35.8%), suicidal thinking (30.7%), problems in a spousal relationship (26.7%), a personal history of self-harm (24.3%), anxiety and stress disorders (21.9%) and long term harmful substance use (19.5%). Legal problems (17.2%) and family and friendship difficulties (16.2%) also featured. Employment related factors such as job loss or workplace problems were recorded in 13.0% of deaths, rising to 18.2% for people aged 45 to 64.

Risk factors are not the same as warning signs, and they do not explain why any one person died. As Life in Mind notes, suicide is complex and there is rarely a single reason. What the data does show is that most people who died were dealing with several overlapping stresses, many of which are visible to the people around them.

Why it matters: Relationship breakdowns, financial and legal stress, job insecurity and mental health conditions are all things that workplaces and communities encounter every day. When people know how to notice these pressures and respond with care, there are more opportunities to connect someone with support before they reach crisis point. For employers, workplace problems and job loss are also psychosocial hazards that must be managed under work health and safety laws.

What it means for you

Individuals and families

If someone you care about seems withdrawn, overwhelmed or not themselves, trust your instincts and check in. Asking directly and calmly about suicide does not put the idea in someone's head; it gives them permission to talk. Listen without judgement, stay with them, and help them connect with support. Look after yourself too, as supporting someone can be demanding.

Managers and team leaders

You do not need to be a counsellor, but you do need to know how to start the conversation and where to point people. Watch for changes in behaviour, performance or attendance, especially during restructures, conflict or personal upheaval. Make it known that asking for help will not count against anyone, and know your organisation's Employee Assistance Program and escalation steps.

Organisations

The data makes a clear case for prevention at work. Train a meaningful number of staff in Mental Health First Aid so that support is available across every team and shift. Identify and control psychosocial hazards such as high job demands, poor support, conflict and job insecurity, as required under WHS laws. Build clear pathways to early support, including counselling, and plan for how you would support staff after a suicide affects your workplace.

How FME can help

Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid training, including workplace programs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA and our suicide prevention training, along with psychosocial hazard consultancy, counselling and NDIS supports Australia wide. To talk about training for your team or a psychosocial risk review, call (02) 8044 3365, email info@fme.com.au or visit fme.com.au. You can also explore more articles in our Knowledge Hub.

Where to get support

If this article has raised concerns for you or someone you know, support is available 24 hours a day. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 to speak with a First Nations crisis supporter. If life is in danger, call 000.