Is this real health data?

Yes — real age-standardized suicide rates figures from the WHO's own Global Health Observatory API.

No. The GHO OData API is fully key-less.

How often does it update?

The pipeline re-reads the WHO's own dataset periodically, on whatever schedule WHO republishes that indicator.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

What does age-standardised mean?

The rate is adjusted to a standard age structure so that populations of different ages can be compared. Without it, countries with older populations would look different for demographic reasons alone.

Why might the figures differ from national statistics?

WHO builds its estimates with standard methods and adjusts for under-reporting and incomplete data, so they can differ from the figures an individual country publishes.

Why do rows show different years?

The latest available estimate differs by country, so the board uses each country's own most recent figure.

Suicide Rate Board Screensaver

The Suicide Rate Board screensaver ranks real age-standardized suicide rates by country. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Suicide Rate Board screensaver works

The saver reads real age-standardized suicide rates data from the WHO's own Global Health Observatory API.

Countries are ranked by their real latest reported suicide rate.

The pipeline refreshes on the WHO's own periodic release schedule.

No key is required for this key-less public endpoint.

How suicide rates are compared across countries

The numbers come from the World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory and are expressed as deaths per 100,000 people. They are age-standardised, which means they are adjusted to a common reference population so that a country with many older residents can be compared fairly with a younger one. The year on each row is the most recent estimate available for that country.

Countries with high-quality death registration that records cause of death are estimated from those data, adjusted for under-reporting and unknown age or sex. Countries without it rely on other sources such as household surveys, sample registration systems and special studies. WHO says its estimates use standard categories and methods for comparability and may differ from official national figures. Small countries can also show rates that shift widely from year to year because the underlying numbers are small.

A ranking of rates describes a measurement, and cannot explain why levels differ. If this topic affects you or someone you know, local crisis and health services can provide support.

A worked example

A real country's most recent reported suicide rate is ranked against the real others, with bars easing into place as the board loads.

Settings & tips

Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population for fair cross-country comparison.
Accent recolours the bars and header text.
Values and years are real, unedited WHO Global Health Observatory data.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real health data?: Yes — real age-standardized suicide rates figures from the WHO's own Global Health Observatory API.
Is a key needed?: No. The GHO OData API is fully key-less.
How often does it update?: The pipeline re-reads the WHO's own dataset periodically, on whatever schedule WHO republishes that indicator.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
What does age-standardised mean?: The rate is adjusted to a standard age structure so that populations of different ages can be compared. Without it, countries with older populations would look different for demographic reasons alone.
Why might the figures differ from national statistics?: WHO builds its estimates with standard methods and adjusts for under-reporting and incomplete data, so they can differ from the figures an individual country publishes.
Why do rows show different years?: The latest available estimate differs by country, so the board uses each country's own most recent figure.

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