28 Oct 2023

Suspected deaths by suicides rates among NZ Pasifika people drops

From , 6:02 am on 28 October 2023
Buttabean Motivation (BBM) founder Dave Letele says breaking down the barriers in south Auckland to get people to complete the census isn’t easy. He was an ambassador for Census 2023 and was involved in a social media campaign which kicked off late last year to get more people to take part.

Buttabean Motivation (BBM) founder Dave Letele says breaking down the barriers in south Auckland to get people to complete the census isn’t easy. He was an ambassador for Census 2023 and was involved in a social media campaign which kicked off late last year to get more people to take part. Photo: Supplied / Greer Bland

The annual suspected deaths by suicides among Aotearoa New Zealand's Pacific communities has dropped significantly.

While the overall figures across the whole population have risen with Māori continuing to be the worst affected, among Pacific people suspected deaths were 5.1 per 100 thousand people, down from 9.2 in the previous financial year. 

RNZ Pacific's Lydia Lewis asked front line community providers what they would attribute the decrease to: