Middle-aged generation most likely to die by suicide and drug poisoning
A generation of people born in the 1960s and 1970s, known as Generation X, are dying from suicide or drug poisoning in greater numbers than ever. ONS data for England and Wales has shown that in the late 1980s to early 1990s, the age at which most people died by taking their own lives or drug poisoning was concentrated around this generation, when they were in their 20s.
“Since the late 1980s to early 1990s, we’ve seen that those who are part of the so-called ‘Generation X’ have been consistently more likely to die by either suicide or drug poisoning than any other generation. “The reasons behind these deaths are complex, but our most recent data suggest that those currently living in the most deprived communities are at the highest risk.
-Ben Humberstone, ONS Deputy Director for Health and Life Events