Enhancing the Accuracy and Timeliness of Data for Suicide Statistics

Question:

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in respect of the significant difference between the provisional and actual data for suicide statistics for 2023 (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the strategies for more accurate and timely data; and (b) whether explanations can be provided for this disparity to better understand and aid more responsive policies and community interventions for suicide prevention.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. The provisional number of deaths from suicide reported in the annual Report on Registration of Births and Deaths are based on those confirmed to be suicides as at the time of publication of the report.

2. At the time of publication, there could, in addition, be a number of unnatural death cases which are still pending an outcome from the Coroner’s Inquiry. These cases are captured in the same report under “Symptoms, signs & abnormal clinical & laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified”.

3. Some of these cases may subsequently be classified as suicides after the completion of the Coroner’s Inquiry, and the number of suicides for that year will then be updated accordingly in the following year’s Report on Registration of Births and Deaths. Hence, the finalised number of deaths from suicide for a particular year will generally be higher than the provisional number.

4. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority will provide an explanatory note in future Reports on Registration of Births and Deaths.