11 Professions With The Highest Suicide Rates in Australia

The 11 professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia prove that the stress of a job can literally kill you.

Australia is an amazing country to live in, with plenty of excellent educational opportunities, job opportunities and a high standard of living. In fact, it is considered one of the best countries according to the quality of life, and ranked second in research conducted by the United Nations. This makes it surprising that suicide in Australia is still such a major issue, claiming a couple of thousand of lives every year. In 2009, around 1.4% of all deaths in the country were due to suicide. When comparing suicide rates in previous decades with those prevailing now, perhaps the most important statistic is that suicides in the age group younger than 15 years increased by 92%!

Furthermore, in Australia, as is common in most countries, the suicide rate is exponentially higher for men than for women. However, there is good news overall as the suicide rates for both men and women have lowered in the country. It is also worth noting that the national suicide rate in Australia is much lower than in many other countries, primarily because of the reasons I mentioned earlier. If your interests lean towards countries where the suicide rate is alarmingly high, you should head on over to the 11 Countries with the Highest Suicide Rates in the World in 2016.

Another interesting fact is that there seems to be little difference in the suicide rates in Australia in rural and urban areas. However, the men in rural areas have a significantly higher suicide rate than women in rural areas. There are several reasons to explain the high suicide rate such as the fact that there is easy access to firearms there (which make it significantly easier for a person who wants to kill himself to pull it off). In addition, there is greater isolation in rural areas, which makes it easier for people to fall into depression, which is the leading cause of suicide. Again, in most countries, it is more common for people in rural areas to kill themselves as compared to those in urban areas, a statistic which has always surprised me, because I thought that urban areas would be home to more suicides, due to high pressure of work, increased expenses and the added pressure of maintaining a social life.

But while research has been conducted on the aforementioned topics, little to no research is present to determine the professions which are responsible for the highest suicide rates. Everyone who has ever held a job, from a sales clerk to a CEO, knows the innate pressure that comes from being responsible for ensuring that everything under your control happens smoothly. Of course, the level of pressure differs from one job to another, for example, a doctor will be under much more pressure to ensure no mistake is made as even the tiniest of errors can lead to the loss of life.

As I mentioned earlier, comprehensive studies have not been carried out in Australia to research the professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia. The most recent study was conducted in Victoria by the Victorian Coroners Court Prevention Unit, and while it only covers the state, we have used it for our ranking, considering the lack of proper studies available in this regard. However, there is also another older study conducted in 2010, which pointed that the suicide rates in the country increased after the Global Financial Crisis, but no information was available on statistics pertaining to professions. This study used the National Coroners Information System, which is a national data system used by coroners throughout the country to identify the cause of death and other such relevant information. We combined these two studies to figure out the professions which have the unfortunate distinction of having the highest suicide rates in Australia. Without further ado, here is our list of professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia starting with number 11:

11. Sales

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 13.59

There has been little to no research on why people in sales have a high suicide rate, so we can only assume that it has to do with the high pressure of being in the field, and having to meet a certain target in order to be eligible for the commission, which is sometimes essential when they have low basic salaries and are entirely dependent on commissions and bonuses. I personally know many people in sales, and they are generally worried all the time about not being able to meet their targets, and the stress can definitely take its toll.

10. Commercial services

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 17.2

Providing commercial services can also often involve a lot of stress and pressure, which may be the reason why the suicide rates in this profession are significantly high.

9. Farmers

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 19.03

I guess it is not as surprising to see farmers in the list ofprofessions with the highest suicide rates in Australia because first and foremost, farmers reside in rural areas, and the social isolation along with the ease of access to firearms gives them both the reason and the opportunity to commit suicide. Furthermore, many farmers are also often very poor, and the pressure of not being able to afford even the basic necessities for their families can often be too much to bear. In India, farmers committing suicides are so common that studies are being conducted to deduce the reasons behind this alarming rate.  While the government in Australia has sought to help farmers, it looks like much more can be done in this regard.

8. Machinery operators

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 20.85

Operating machinery, especially heavy machinery in factories, can be a dangerous job, especially for the inexperienced. Even a minor mistake can result in loss of limbs or even death, a fact that machinery operators are aware of. This, combined with the fact that machinery operators often make minimum wage or slightly more inducing financial burden, may result in the high rate of suicides in this profession.

7. Engineers

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 21

At number 7 on the list of professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia we have engineers that all over the world generally have a high suicide rate, and despite this phenomenon, no research has been conducted to find the reasons for it. Perhaps it is because of high competition, as the supply is much greater than the demand. This can lead to many being unemployed, which brings financial pressure and can, unfortunately, lead to suicidal thoughts.

6. Tech/trade

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 21.12

The tech industry is constantly evolving, technology concepts are becoming obsolete very quickly, and many businesses get shut down very soon after opening. This can lead to huge losses for the owner of the business, as well as unemployment for the employees in the business. In addition, people in the tech industry often work really long hours, compromising on their social life, which can sometimes lead to depression. Unfortunately, enough reasons for this profession to have such a high suicide rate and hence, to be placed in 6th place among 11 professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia.

5. Truck Driver

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 23.3

Being a truck driver, the number 5 on our list of professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia, is no easy job. You might imagine long drives in the countryside while listening to your favorite music, and consider this to be an excellent job. However, the pressure is immense. You are in charge of a huge vehicle and again, work long hours in order to meet strict deadlines, which can lead to accidents. You might understand this more by reading this article, which mentions a truck driver committing suicide after being involved in a crash which killed 4 people.

3. Laborers

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 34.6

Laborers work extremely long hours, putting their body at risk for minimum wage, which leads to physical issues in addition to financial problems, which in turn results in higher suicide rates. Furthermore, laborers are often not provided adequate protection, which can result in serious injury.

3. Security Guard

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 34.6

Being a security guard, the number 3 on our list of professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia is a high-risk job. While most of the time, the job is generally uneventful and boring, everything can change within a minute. Not only do security guards put their lives at risk, having to live in apprehension for several hours can take its toll.

2. Paramedic

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 35.6

At number two on our list of professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia we have paramedics that are responsible for saving lives, and that is one of the toughest jobs in the world. For paramedics, a split second decision can result in saving someone’s life, or loosing it. Unless anyone is in this field, it is extremely hard to imagine the level of stress accompanying the job, and hence, I am not surprised to find that paramedics have one of the highest suicide rates in Australia.

1. Veterinarians

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 38.2

Veterinarians top the list of 11 professions with the highest suicide rates in Australia. Veterinarians need to deal with death every day, whether it is putting a sick animal down or having owners try and force the vets to put down even a healthy animal.