Overall
By Sex
By Age Group
By Residential Instability
Overall
In 2021, there were 66 suicides among Simcoe Muskoka residents. This is 25% higher than what was reported for Simcoe Muskoka in 2020 with 52 suicides. In the first two years of the pandemic (2020 to 2021), suicides in Simcoe Muskoka were more than 20% lower than the average from the previous four years (2016-2019). The number of suicides for Ontario were also lower in 2020 and 2021 when compared to 2016-2019 by 10%. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults (20 to 44 years).
The suicide rate in Simcoe Muskoka for the population 10 years and older from 2017 to 2021 was 12.3 (11.0, 13.7) deaths per 100,000 population, which was not significantly different from the Ontario rate of 11.5 (11.2, 11.8) deaths per 100,000 population.
The suicide rate in Simcoe Muskoka decreased significantly in the most recent five years (2017-2021) when compared with the previous five-year period (2012-2016). Whereas the provincial rate remained relatively stable over this 10-year period. The Simcoe Muskoka suicide rate was significantly higher than the comparable provincial rate from 2007 to 2016; however, from 2017 to 2021 the local and provincial rates were similar to one another.
By Sex
In 2021, the suicide rate among Simcoe Muskoka males was 18.9 (14.1, 24.7) deaths per 100,000, which was more than triple the female rate of 5.0 (2.8, 8.4) deaths per 100,000. The 2020 suicide rates decreased by more than one-third among males before increasing again by approximately the same amount in 2021 to return to a rate similar to what was observed prior to the pandemic. Rates among Simcoe Muskoka females decreased by approximately one-quarter in 2020 and remained at a similar level in 2021.
The suicide rates among Simcoe Muskoka females increased significantly from 2012 to 2016 when compared to 2007-2011 but decreased again in the most recent five-year period (2017-2021). The suicide rates among Simcoe Muskoka males has not changed significantly since 2007.
The suicide rates for Simcoe Muskoka males were significantly higher than the comparable provincial average from 2007 to 2016; however, the local rates among males were not significantly different from the provincial average from 2017 to 2021. The suicide rates for Simcoe Muskoka females were similar to the comparable provincial average from 2007-2011; however, from 2012 to 2016 the Simcoe Muskoka female suicide rates were significantly higher than the provincial average. In the most recent five-year period (2017-2021) the local and provincial suicide rates among females were not significantly different from each other.
By Age Group
The age-specific rate of suicide between 2017 and 2021 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka was highest among adults 45 to 64 years of age at 15.8 (13.3, 18.8) deaths per 100,000. The age-specific suicide rates in Simcoe Muskoka were not significantly different from the comparable provincial rates for any age group over this period.
By Residential Instability
In Simcoe Muskoka for the five years from 2017-2021 (combined), the average suicide rate among those living in areas with the highest amount of residential instability (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index or ON-Marg) was more than double when compared with the rate for those living in areas with the lowest amount of residential instability.
Page last updated March 29, 2023