Economic Development and Gender Ratio Change in Chinese Suicide Rates (1990–2017)

Objective: The overall gender ratio in Chinese suicide rates has substantially changed during the past three decades. In this study, we investigated the social economic factors and the mechanisms that may be contributing to this fluctuation. Study Design: This is a secondary analysis using suicide mortality data from the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methods: A statistical model was performed with province as the unit of analysis. The per capita GDP and income of each provincial-level region were collected from the Economic and Statistical Yearbook. Rate and ratio were used to describe the trend of variations, and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the association between economic development and gender ratio change. Results: The China overall male to female gender ratio of suicide rates increased as the GDP per capita grew (r = 0.439; p = 0.015). The gender ratio changed from 0.88 in 1990 to 1.56 in 2017, with the reversion point between 1995 and 2000. The most radical reverse changes in the gender ratios were found in large municipalities. Conclusions: Cultural and social economic variables may explain the gender ratio changes. Increased economic development has significantly reduced psychological strains on rural young women, which in turn decreased the suicide rate among this sub-population.