Charity
Wales suicide backdrop
In 2024 there were 436 suicides registered in Wales, an overall rate of 15.7 per 100,000; the male rate was 25.0 per 100,000, female 6.8.
Those rates are among the highest seen this century, and males 45–49 have the highest age‑specific rate.
Wales now has the highest male suicide rate in the UK (25.0 per 100,000 in 2024), surpassing Scotland
- Powys Teaching Health Board - 25.3 per 100,000 (statistically highest - West Wales)
- Mid & West Wales - 18.0 per 100,000 (highest region)
- Blaenau Gwent - Highest 3-year rate (21.3 per 100,000)
The bar heights (e.g. 3.9x for entertainment/music, 3.7x for construction and 2.9x for agriculture/farming were derived by combining and normalising those ONS and government figures into a single "scorecard" so we could compare sectors on a simple "multiplier vs national average" scale, but that exact graph does not appear in any official ONS publication.
The music industry, then the Construction industry and then Farming and agricultural industries have the highest suicide rates across the Occupational sectors.
The Music industry workers are 3.9X more likely to commit suicide that the national average.
This is closely followed by the construction industry at 3.7X and then farming and agriculture at 2.9X.
Wales-Specific Music/Entertainment (3.9X) Industry Data:
Wales has the highest male suicide rate in the UK, so musicians working in Wales are likely to be at particularly elevated risk and should be treated as a priority group for targeted mental‑health and suicide‑prevention interventions.
Musicians and performers face a distinctive cluster of occupational stressors linked to elevated rates of anxiety, depression and suicidality compared with other professions.
Key drivers include chronic financial insecurity and portfolio working, with up to 87% needing second jobs, alongside high job instability and irregular income.
Touring and live performance schedules bring long hours, disrupted sleep and isolation, all associated with increased mental‑health distress and suicidality among touring professionals.
Performance anxiety, perfectionism and overcommitment further heighten stress, increasing vulnerability to burnout and mental ill‑health.
Industry cultures that normalise alcohol and drug use often encourage harmful coping strategies, exacerbating existing difficulties.
Recent UK research concludes that the music industry is an "inherently dangerous" place to work from a mental‑health perspective, with musicians showing significantly higher suicide risk than the general population.
Sources:
https://www.tonicmusic.co.uk/post/afbl29
https://www.tonicmusic.co.uk/post/afbl31
https://www.ansiedadyestres.es/sites/default/files/rev/2021/anyes2021a7.pdf
https://www.corpsonore.com/wellness/musicians-burnout
https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/2025/music-industry-suicide-research/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03057356211064642
Wales‑specific Farming & Agriculture (3.7X) suicide data
Wales has a higher overall suicide rate than England (about 15.7 vs 11.1 per 100,000 in 2024), with three‑quarters of deaths among men, which amplifies concern for male‑dominated sectors like farming.
Samaritans Cymru and Tir Dewi highlight that farmers and rural communities are at higher risk of poor mental health and suicide due to long working hours, financial pressure, isolation, difficult access to services, and physical danger.
In July 2024 they launched "Our Farming, Our Future", aiming to train 100 young farmers in Wales as peer supporters to reduce suicide risk in farming communities.
Sources:
https://itvwalesnews.substack.com/p/farming-champions-tackle-growing
https://www.samaritans.org/samaritans-cymru/about-samaritans-cymru/our-farming-our-future/
Wales-Specific Construction (2.9X) Industry Data:
Male suicide rates in Wales are 3× higher than women
Construction industry has increasingly recognized suicide risk due to:
Job insecurity (short-term contracts)
Fatigue from long hours
Financial pressures
Workplace culture discouraging mental health conversations
Alcohol/substance use as coping strategy
Causes: "Low‑skilled male labourers, particularly those working in construction roles, had a risk that was 3 times higher than the male national average."
Suicide rates by industry in Wales are not published as a standalone Wales-only dataset, but the most recent England and Wales combined data (2023–2024) from the ONS shows the key patterns, with some Wales-specific data available for certain sectors:
We have therefore opted to support the following 3 suicide prevention charities:
Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity offers free, confidential support for anyone in the construction community who is struggling and needs a helping hand.
They are the only charity dedicated to the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families across the UK and Ireland.
If you or a colleague needs support, you can access their 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline, free text "HARDHAT" service, self-help app and local Lighthouse Beacons for a safe space to talk, practical guidance and crisis assistance.
For more information and to use their services, visit the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity at www.lighthouseclub.org or search for the "Construction Industry Helpline" app on your mobile device. 0345 605 1956
Music Minds Matter is a dedicated UK charity providing mental health support for everyone who works in music, on stage or behind the scenes.
The charity runs a free, confidential 24/7 support line staffed by trained professionals, offering a listening ear, mental health guidance, and signposting to further help, including funded counselling where needed.
It also provides online resources, workshops and programmes like "Check Your Levels" to help people in music build resilience, manage pressure and stay well over the long term.
Anyone working in music who is struggling can call Music Minds Matter on 0808 802 8008 for free, 24/7 support, whether the issue is work‑related or not.
The service is part of the wider Help Musicians family, so callers can also be connected into other practical and financial support if needed.
https://www.musicmindsmatter.org.uk/
The DPJ Foundation is a Welsh mental health charity supporting farmers, farm workers and rural families across agriculture.
The DPJ Foundation focuses on mental health in agriculture and rural communities, offering fully funded counselling, awareness training and suicide‑bereavement support across Wales.
Their "Share the Load" service provides quick access to qualified counsellors and support in person, online, by phone or by text, in English or Welsh.
Anyone in Welsh agriculture who is struggling can call the free, confidential "Share the Load" helpline on 0800 587 4262 or text 07860 048799 for support.
Where we fail to protect someone and they are successful in their commitment to suicide, we also wish to support SAMMY-SIZED Gap charity who provide post suicide support to families that just lost a loved one.
The Sammy‑sized GAP is a registered charity based in Pembrokeshire, founded in memory of Sam Price, a 19‑year‑old who died by suicide in 2023.
The programme provides postvention support (practical and emotional help after a suicide) for families and friends bereaved by suicide in Pembrokeshire, and runs community activities and awareness‑raising around suicide and mental health.
It works alongside other Welsh and UK organisations in the wider suicide‑prevention and postvention network (for example via the Support After Suicide Partnership).
As previously highlighted, Clare Sturman, the CEO of Sammy-Sized Gap is also a business partner at BEAT THE TIDE.
We will therefore allocate 25% of net profits to charities and then split the revenue equally across the 4 charities in the hope that by improving support, networks, knowledge and awareness, we can Beat the tide of suicides in Wales.