To describe the epidemiological characteristics of suicide death and self-harm/suicide in China from 2006 to 2016.

Data in this study are from the datasets of National Death Cause Surveillance from 2006 to 2016 and the National Injury Surveillance Dataset 2016. The age-standardized death rate based on the population census in 2000 was used to describe the trend of suicide over years. This study also described the epidemiological characteristics of suicide death and the demographic characteristics, suicide methods and severity of patients who sought medical help after committing suicide or self-inflicted injury in 2016.

Age-standardized suicide mortality had been declining from 9.23/100 000 in 2006 to 5.33/100 000 in 2016 by 42.25%. Suicide mortality increased with age. In 2016, the suicide mortality in China was 7.05/100 000, and among people over 85 years old was 49.49/100 000. In 2016, the dominant two suicide methods were poisoning (39.12%) and sharp injury (25.62%). The first leading method of suicide in rural population, urban population and young people aged 10-to 17-year-old was poisoning (65.13%), sharp injury (29.90%) and fall (25.47%), respectively. As age increased, the severity of suicide/self-inflicted injury increased. The proportions of serious cases among young people aged 10-to 17-year-old and older people aged 60 years old and above who sought medical help after committing suicide or self-inflicted injury were 4.88% and 26.86%, respectively.

China′s suicide mortality has been declining and special attention should be given to the suicide of old people.

Suicide; Mortality; Self-harm; Surveillance