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. 2018 Aug 20;16:145. doi: 10.1186/s12916-018-1115-6

Table 2.

Suicide mortality rates among Indigenous populations by WHO region and country

WHO Region Country Indigenous peoplesa Population Period Deaths CSIR SSIR
European Region
 Soininen (2008) [14] Finland (Northern region) Sámi 2091 1979–2005 24 50.0
 Thorslund (1989) [70] Greenland Kalaallit (Inuit) 1986 57 129
 Bjerregaard (2015) [12] Greenland Kalaallit (Inuit) 57,000 1970–2011 1678 87.7
East/north regions Kalaallit (Inuit) 1970–2011 –307 187.5
Nuuk Kalaallit (Inuit) 1970–2011 –303 86.6
Towns in Western region Kalaallit (Inuit) 1970–2011 –837 81.2
Villages in Western region Kalaallit (Inuit) 1970–2011 –222 61.4
 Klomek (2016) [71] Israel Bedouin 1999–2011 39 4.4 3.2
 Silviken (2009) [11] Norway (Northern region) Sámi 19,801 1970–1998 89 18.9
 Sumarokov (2014) [72] Russia (Nenets Autonomous Okrug) Nenets 7504 2002–2012 67 79.8 72.7
 Hassler (2005) [13] Sweden Sámi 41,721 1961–2000 114 11.7
Sámi (non-herding) 1961–2000 76 9.8
Sámi (reindeer herding) 1961–2000 38 19.6
Western Pacific Region (Australia)
 Clayer (1991) [73] Australia (South Australia) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 13,298 1988 14 105.3
 Cantor (1997) [74] Australia (Queensland) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 1990–1992 17.1
 Stevenson (1998) [34] Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 1990–1992 67 11.1
 Bramley (2004) [32] Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 1999 19.4
 De Leo (2011) [4] Australia (Queensland) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 1994–2007 544 27.2
 Measey (2006) [41] Australia (Northern Territory) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 2002 50.4
 Pridmore (2009) [3] Australia (Northern Territory) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 2001–2006 130 36.7
 Campbell (2016) [75] Australia (Kimberley) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 11,550 2005–2014 102 74
Western Pacific Region (Oceania)
 Booth (1999) [33] American Samoa Samoan 54,800 1990–1991 18
 Hezel (1984) [76] FSM (Chuuk) Chuukese 37,488 1971–1983 129 30
 Hezel (1989) [35] Federated States of Micronesia Pacific peoples 142,298 1984–1987 134 25.8
Chuuk Chuukese 44,000 1984–1987 51 28.3
Kosrae Kosraen 6448 1984–1987 6 25.9
Pohnpei Pohnpeian 28,879 1984–1987 18 16.7
Yap Yapese 10,139 1984–1987 5 20.2
 Booth (1999) [33] Federated States of Micronesia Pacific peoples 105,700 1988–1992 31
Chuuk Chuukese 1988–1992 35
Kosrae Kosraen 1988–1992 48
Pohnpei Pohnpeian 1988–1992 20
Yap Yapese 1988–1992 48
 Ree (1971) [77] Fiji (Macuata) iTaukei 9950 1962–1968 4 5.7
 Price (1975) [51] Fiji iTaukei 1971–1972 6 1.3
 Haynes (1984) [78] Fiji (Macuata) iTaukei 8111 1979–1982 2 6.7
 Pridmore (1994) [79] Fiji (Western Division) iTaukei 1986–1992 2
 Pridmore (1995) [80] Fiji iTaukei 1969–1989 3.6
 Booth (1999) [33] Fiji iTaukei 1982–1983 3 3
 Booth (1999) [33] French Polynesia Polynesian 218,000 1988–1992 9 9
 Booth (2010) [81] Guam Chamorro 1998–2000 21
 Hezel (1989) [35] Marshall Islands Marshallese 39,060 1984–1987 39 26.5
 Booth (1999) [33] Marshall Islands Marshallese 54,700 1988–1992 26
 Langley (1990) [82] Aotearoa/New Zealand Māori 1984 22 8
 Langley (2000) [83] Aotearoa/New Zealand Māori 1985–1994 271 8.8
 Bramley (2004) [32] Aotearoa/New Zealand Māori 1999 12.9
 Hezel (1989) [35] Palau Palauan 13,772 1984–1987 15 28.8
 Booth (1999) [33] Palau Palauan 16,500 1988–1992 29
 Parker (1966) [84] Papua New Guinea Pacific peoples 1961–1965 41 0.7
 Smith (1981) [50] Papua New Guinea (Southern Highlands) Huli 50,000 1971–1976 26 17
 Booth (1999) [33] Papua New Guinea Pacific peoples 4,216,100 1990 < 1
 Booth (1999) [33] Samoa Samoan 163,400 1981 31 34
 Pridmore (1997) [49] Solomon Islands (Honiara area) Pacific peoples 75,000 1989–1993 13 3.9
 Vivili (1999) [85] Tonga Tongan 98,200 1982–1997 43 2.9
 Booth (1999) [33] Vanuatu ni-Vanuatu 164,100 1990–1992 3
 De Leo (2013) [86] Vanuatu ni-Vanuatu 245,619 2010 2 0.8
Western Pacific Region (East Asia)
 Telisinghe (2014) [40] Brunei Darussalam Indigenous peoples (7 tribes)b 14,000 1991–2010 4 1.7
 Wang (1997) [87] China (Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) Meng 27,000 1986–1991 2.4
Hui 21,600 1986–1991 1.2
 Lu (2013) [44] China (Yunnan Province) Dai 325,126 2004–2005 12
Yi 582,596 2004–2005 20.8
Li su 147,794 2004–2005 50.8
Other ethnic minorities 1,922,430 2004–2005 0.96–36.4c
 Ali (2014) [43] Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) Bumiputera 2,981,300 2009 11 0.4
 Jollant (2014) [42] Philippines Palawan 1192 2002–2012 16 134
 Cheng (1992) [88] Taiwan Atayal 1981–1985 46.3
Ami 1981–1985 5.3
Bunun 1981–1985 64.8
Paiwan 1981–1985 16.3
 Hsieh (1994) [89] Taiwan Indigenous peoples 200,000 1971–1990 1597 40.1
Atayal 1971–1990 928 57.6
Bunun 1971–1990 222 44.7
Paiwan 1971–1990 204 21.3
 Wen (2004) [90] Taiwan Indigenous peoples 200,537 1998–2000 128 21.9
 Liu (2011) [91] Taiwan (East region) Ami 1979–1981 30 15.6
Atayal 1979–1981 30 68.2
Region of the Americas (Brazil and Canada)
 Coloma (2006) [45] Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) Indigenous peoples (6 tribes)d 53,325 2000–2003 194 96.2
 Souza (2013) [46] Brazil (Amazonas) Indigenous peoples 184,764 2006–2010 131 18.4
Manaus Indigenous peoples 2006–2010 0
Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira Indigenous peoples 2006–2010 41.9
Tabatinga Indigenous peoples 2006–2010 75.8
 Machado (2015) [92] Brazil Indigenous peoples 2012 14.4
 Orellana (2016) [21] Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) Indigenous peoples (3 tribes)e 75,000 2009–2011 65.2
 Butler (1965) [93] Canada (NWT/Nunavut) Inuit 7949 1959–1964 9 18.8
NWT First Nation 5284 1959–1964 0 0
Yukon First Nation 2207 1959–1964 5 37.7
 Young (1983) [94] Canada (Northwestern Ontario) Cree and Ojibway 10,000 1972–1981 17 16.1
 Fox (1984) [95] Canada (Wikwemikong, Ontario) Anishinaabe 3000 1976–1980 26.7
 Wotton (1985) [96] Canada (Labrador) Innu and Inuit 2500 1979–1983 8 65.5
 Spaulding (1985) [97] Canada (Northern Ontario) Ojibway 3005 1975–1982 14 61.7
 Mao (1986) [98] Canada (7 provinces) First Nation (on reserve) 168,529 1977–1982 344 34
 Ross (1986) [68] Canada Cree 2822 1981–1984 7 83
 Garro (1988) [99] Canada (Manitoba) First Nation (Status Indians) 43,000 1973–1982 174 40.2
Dene 1973–1982 13
Ojibway (Northern) 1973–1982 5
Cree 1973–1982 22
Saulteaux 1973–1982 48
Dakota 1973–1982 80
 Malchy (1997) [100] Canada (Manitoba) First Nation and Métis 1988–1994 227 38 31.8
 Chandler (1998) [16] Canada (British Colombia) First Nation 1987–1992 220 45.2
 Isaacs (1998) [101] Canada (NWT) Dene 1994–1996 29
NWT/Nunavut Inuit 1994–1996 79
 Bramley (2004) [32] Canada First Nation 1999 27.8
 Macaulay (2004) [8] Canada (Kivalliq, Nunavut) Inuit 7131 1987–1996 31 45.1
 Penney (2009) [102] Canada (Nunavut) Inuit 20,489 1999–2003 95.6
Canada (Nunavik) Inuit 7628 1999–2003 159.8
 Pollock (2016) [30] Canada (Labrador) Innu 1815 1993–2009 28 –137.0 114
Inuit 2415 1993–2009 64 –186.8 165.6
Region of the Americas (USA, National)
 Ogden (1970) [103] USA (24 Western states) American Indian and Alaska Native 630,000 1967 94 17 23.1
 Young (1993) [104] USA (IHSA) American Indian and Alaska Native 1979–1981 18.6
 Lester (1994) [105] USA American Indian and Alaska Native 1980 13.3
 Lester (1995) [106] USA (48 states) American Indian and Alaska Native 984–166,464¶ 1980 0.0–64.7f
 Stevenson (1998) [34] USA American Indian 1990–1992 572 15.5
 Bramley (2004) [32] USA American Indian and Alaska Native 1999 12
 Howard (2014) [107] USA American Indian and Alaska Native 2,439,419 1999–2010 4219 14.2
 Herne (2014) [6] USA (IHSA) American Indian and Alaska Native 1999–2009 3600 21.1
Pacific Coast IHSA American Indian and Alaska Native 1999–2009 532 18.2
Southwest IHSA American Indian and Alaska Native 1999–2009 1066 19.9
South Plains IHSA American Indian & Alaska Native 1999–2009 626 18.7
North Plains IHSA American Indian and Alaska Native 1999–2009 755 26.2
East IHSA American Indian and Alaska Native 1999–2009 93 8.4
Alaska IHSA American Indian and Alaska Native 1999–2009 528 42.5
Region of the Americas (USA, Alaska)
 Kraus (1979) [108] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 56,477 1970 29.6
 Travis (1983) [109] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 1975–1979 15.8–52.6g
 Travis (1984) [110] USA (NANA, Alaska) Inupiat 7345 1974–1980 106
USA (Arctic Slope, Alaska) Inupiat 1974–1980 19.2
 Hlady (1988) [111] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 1983–1984 65 42.9
 Forbes (1988) [112] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 1985 47 64.9 68.8
 Kettl (1991) [113] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 1979–1984 90 23.4
 Andon (1997) [114] USA (Alaska) Athabascan 6041 1977–1987 40 55.1
 Marshall (1998) [115] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 25,000 1979–1990 186 49
Yupik 1979–1990 103 53
Inupiat 1979–1990 60 89
Athabascan 1979–1990 23 147
 Day (2003) [47] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 91,300 1989–1998 49.7
 Day (2009) [116] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 97,012 1999–2003 204 36.1
 Wexler (2012) [7] USA (Northwestern Alaska) Alaska Native 7965 2001–2009 38 60
 Holck (2013) [48] USA (Alaska) Alaska Native 138,312 2004–2008 252 42.4
Region of the Americas (USA, Lower 48 States + Hawaii)
 Levy (1965) [117] USA (New Mexico) Navajo 87,000 1954–1963 59 8.3
 Kalish (1968) [118] USA (Hawai‘i) Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) 1959–1965 17.8
Other Pacific peoples 1959–1965 6.8
 Conrad (1974) [119] USA (Arizona) Tohono O’odham 12,179 1967–1971 10 18
 Shore (1975) [120] USA (Pacific Northwest) American Indian 23,921 1969–1971 20 27.8
 Sievers (1975) [121] USA (Arizona) American Indian 40,361 1971–1973 17 16.8
Apache 1971–1973 40
Akimel O’odham 1971–1973 7
Other American Indian tribes 1971–1973 26
 Miller (1979) [122] USA (Southwest) American Indian 1977 57.8
 Humphrey (1982) [123] USA (North Carolina) Cherokee 1974–1976 31.1
Lumbee 1974–1976 10.3
 Broudy (1983) [124] USA (Mexico and Arizona) American Indian 162,303 1975–1977 28.5
 Simpson (1983) [125] USA (Northeastern Arizona) Hopi 9406 1979–1980 5 27
 Levy (1987) [126] USA (Northern Arizona) American Indian 7600 1981 23.7
 Copeland (1989) [127] USA (Florida) American Indian 11,050 1982–1986 1 11
 Sievers (1990) [128] USA (Arizona) Akimel O’odham 4915 1975–1984 26 53 51
 Van Winkle (1993) [15] USA (New Mexico) Apache 1980–1987 179h 48.8
Navajo 58,936 1980–1987 18.2
Pueblo 1980–1987 32.2
 Wissow (2001) [129] USA (Southwest) American Indian 12,000 1985–1996 30.7 24.6
 Mullany (2009) [130] USA (Arizona) White Mountain Apache 15,500 2001–2006 41 45.5 40
 Martin (2010) [131] USA (North Carolina) American Indian 2004–2007 39 8.5
 Christensen (2013) [132] USA (South Dakota) American Indian 82,073 2000–2010 236 29 28

WHO World Health Organization, CSIR crude suicide incidence rate, SSIR standardized suicide incidence rate, FSM Federated States of Micronesia, NWT Northwest Territories, IHSA Indian Health Services Area

Standardized rates were adjusted with various populations; therefore they are not directly comparable. Population n are based on reported estimates in each article, but may not reflect denominators used to calculate incidence

aGeneral terms such as Indigenous, Pacific Peoples, or First Nation were used when a specific nation or tribe was not identifiable

bIndigenous tribes in Brunei Darussalam included Kedayan, Belait, Tutong, Bisya, Murut, Dusun, and Iban

cRate range for 10 ethnic minority groups in Yunnan Province, China: Hui, Ha ni, A chang, Pumi, Bai, Yao, Zhuang, Miao, Meng gu, and Jing po minorities

dIndigenous tribes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil included Kadiwe’u, Guato, Ofaie ´-Xavante, Guarani-Kaiowá, Guarani-Ñandeva, and Terena

eIndigenous tribes included Guarani-Kaiowá, Guarani-Ñandeva, and Terena

fPopulation and rate range included 48 states

gRate range for 9 Native regional corporations in Northwest Alaska: Athna, Bering Straits, Bristol Bay, Calista, Chugach, Cook Inlet, Doyon, Koniag, and Sealaska (NANA and Arctic Slope not extracted due to duplicate data with Travis, 1984 [110])

hTotal number of deaths for Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo populations combined