Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029

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The strategic direction for preventing suicide in New Zealand is set by Every Life Matters – He Tapu te Oranga o ia Tangata: Suicide Prevention Strategy 2019-2029.

The Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029 is the second Government suicide prevention action plan under the strategy, and it sets out the 21 Health-led actions and 13 cross-agency actions that agencies will undertake from 2025 to 2029 to prevent suicide. It builds on the current suicide prevention system and the ongoing initiatives from the 2019–2024 action plan.

Development of the action plan was led by the Ministry of Health, including the Suicide Prevention Office, and is informed by insights from suicide prevention evidence, previous engagements, and public consultation in late 2024. Engagement on the action plan included with community organisations, a diverse range of population groups, people and families with lived experience, and many government agencies who have a role in preventing suicide.

The actions within the action plan are focused on addressing gaps and ensuring more people have access to support when they need it. These include the following, which align with the Minister for Mental Health’s portfolio priorities:

• improving access to suicide prevention and postvention supports
• growing a capable and confident suicide prevention and postvention workforces
• strengthening the focus on prevention and early intervention
• improving the effectiveness of suicide prevention and our understanding of suicide.

Implementation of the action plan is led by the Ministry of Health with clear accountability of actions across each lead agency. It will be supported by existing Vote Health suicide prevention investment of $20 million per year, plus allocation of an additional more than $16 million per year from 2025/26 to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention supports.

Monitoring progress on the Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029

The Ministry reports quarterly to the Minister for Mental Health and annually to Cabinet Ministers on agencies’ progress in implementing actions committed to under the Action Plan. As they are produced, these reports will be made available at Monitoring progress on the Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029.

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