Latest ABS data shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide rates are still on the rise

October 27, 2026

The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has increased for the fourth consecutive year and remains more than three times higher than the non-Indigenous population, according to new data which demonstrates an urgent need for investment in community-led suicide prevention programs and services.

The data, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)*, shows:

• Suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have increased to 320. This is further escalation from 2024, representing an increase of 2.2%, and the highest annual number recorded to date.
• In contrast, non-Indigenous suicides decreased from 3,001 to 2,963.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men has fallen slightly, while the suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women has increased. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who die by suicide, two in three are male.
• The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was 5.0 deaths per 100,000 children, compared to non-Indigenous rate of 2.3 deaths per 100,000.
• The national average suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples sits at 35.7 per 100,000, compared to 10.7 per 100,000 for non-Indigenous people.
• Suicide was the 5th leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 2025, compared to the 17thleading cause of death for non-Indigenous people.

Western Australia recorded the highest rate of suicide amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, while Western Australia and Queensland recorded the largest increases.

The increase of suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples means target 14 under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, Significant and sustained reduction in suicide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards zero, will remain as “worsening, not on track” when the Productivity Commission issues its next Closing the Gap progress report.

Professor Pat Dudgeon AM, Director of the Kwop Boorn Djenara Centre** (Boorn Centre) at the University of Western Australia, said, “These devastating figures represent a continuing tragedy for First Nations communities, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to all those who have been bereaved.

“The slight decrease in suicides among our men and boys is encouraging news, but it is distressing to learn that more women and girls are taking their lives.”

Professor Dudgeon said community-led programs and services which centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ holistic experience of mental health, physical, cultural and spiritual health are established to be most effective in promoting Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) and preventing suicide.

The 2016 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP) demonstrated that suicide prevention responses for Indigenous communities have the best chance of being effective when they are developed in deep consultation with communities. This includes being led and governed by community members.

“We need governments in all states and territories, and the Australian Government, to invest in community-based solutions and take their commitments seriously,” Professor Dudgeon said.

“Co-design with Indigenous communities, and delivery through Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, are essential in addressing suicide in our communities,” she said.