Rank
Suicide rates by rank
Rank describes organisational and workforce structures that determine a member’s position, conditions, opportunities, and entitlements (such as pay and conditions). This analysis is based on rank at time of separation. Rank is presented in 2 broad groups: officer ranks and other ranks1.
For males and females, 14% of the ex-serving cohort were officers while the remaining 86% of ex-serving members were in the other ranks group at time of separation. The suicide rates for these groups are given in Table 10 below.
Rank at time of separation | Ex-serving males: Suicide rate per 100,000 population per year | Ex-serving females: Suicide rate per 100,000 population per year |
|---|---|---|
Officer ranks(a) | 16.1 | 10.4* |
Other ranks(b) | 33.2 | 16.0 |
Notes:
a. For the purposes of this analysis this is a Defence member who holds a rank of Midshipman or Officer Cadet, or higher.
b. A Defence member who holds an equivalent rank to E00 (Recruit Seaman, Private, or Aircraftman) to E10 (Warrant Officer of the Navy, Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army, or Warrant Officer of the Air Force).
* Suicide rates in this Table denoted with a '*' should be interpreted with caution as the number of suicides is fewer than 20. These rates are considered potentially volatile.
Source: AIHW analysis of linked Defence historical personnel data–PMKeyS–NDI data 1985–2021.
Between 1997 and 2021, the suicide rate for ex-serving males who were officers was approximately half that of those who were other ranks (16.1 compared with 33.2 per 100,000 population per year).
For ex-serving females, rates of suicide were similar for officers and other ranks (10.4 and 16.0 per 100,000 population per year). This is shown in Figure 15 below.
Figure 15: Suicide rate by rank, ex-serving males and females, 1997–2021
Source: AIHW analysis of linked Defence historical personnel data–PMKeyS–NDI data 1985–2021.
Suicide rates by rank over time
Rates of suicide for ex-serving males who separated as ranks other than officer shows a drop between the late 1990s and the mid 2000s, which is consistent with patterns observed in the general Australian male population over this period (see Figure 3).
Analysis of suicide rates among officers is based on a small number of suicide deaths. Results have not been reported where there were less than 5 suicides in the 3-year periods, 2000 to 2002, 2004 to 2006 and 2005 to 2007.
Due to small numbers of suicide deaths among ex-serving females, suicide rates by rank over time are not reported.
The interactive graph below (Figure 16) presents the suicide rates for ex-serving males in each of the rank groups, for all 3-year periods from 1997–1999 to 2019–2021.
Figure 16: Rate of suicide for ex-serving males by rank, 1997–1999 to 2019–2021
This time series line graph shows the weighted average suicide rate per 100,000 population per year of by rank in ex-serving males over time by 3-year periods from 1997 to 1999, to 2019 to 2021.
