More than 500 people committed suicide in New Zealand in 2010.
The report, called Suicide Facts, showed the suicide rate was 23.6 per cent below the peak rate in 1998.
A Ministry of Health report released today showed there were also 2825 intentional self-harm hospitalisations, which included attempted suicides.
Hanging, strangulation and suffocation were the most common methods of suicide for both males and females.
Canterbury had the second-highest number of self-harm hospitalistions – 325 in 2010 – but the rate per 100,000 people was lower than in the three other South Island district health boards (DHBs)
From 2006 to 2010, the Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti and Southland DHBs had ”significantly higher suicide rates” compared with national levels, the report said.