We reconsider conventional suicide measurement. First, a headcount of suicide is
examined relative to some other causes of death (circulatory diseases, cancer, and motor
vehicle accidents). We then construct a time-series data set of an alternative measure of
suicide, the potential years of life lost (PYLL) for males and females. Suicide PYLLs
average 4.57%of all male PYLLs and 2.44%of female PYLLs for 1907–2005.
The comparable ‘‘count’’ percentages are 1.85 and 0.65, respectively. These differences
are widening through time. In 2005, suicide represented 3.25% of all male deaths
and 0.90% of female deaths using the count measure and, using PYLLs,
11.0% and 4.96%, respectively. The two measures produce quite different indications
of suicide.