The figures around suicide rates can be skewed by a society's own culture around the subject, as I've probably already mentioned. In a country where a family might be stigmatised by the suicide of their relation there might be efforts to put the death down to something else such as a drunken accident. So it can be difficult to be sure what's going on.
(On the other hand, deaths from embarrassing causes like accidental asphyxiation during masturbation games might be put down as suicides to protect the feelings of the family.)
Here in the UK the standard of proof required for the registration of deaths as suicide was recently examined and adjusted, with the interesting conclusion that the change did not affect the published suicide rate.
Safe Office for National Statistics link -
Change in the standard of proof used by coroners and the impact on suicide death registrations data in England and Wales