Are the Scottish and English Suicide Rates Really Different?

The official suicide rate for England and Wales has been higher than Scotland's (1) for at least 70 years. Since national differences in official suicide rates are quite frequently cited as an index of differences in social well-being, it is of some importance to know whether these differences are valid or whether they are merely artefacts caused by varying criteria for deciding what evidence is necessary to write 'suicide’ upon the death certificate.