New data has revealed the Northern Territory's suicide rate has climbed to more than 50 per cent higher than the national average.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed 130 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the NT died by suicide between 2018 and 2022, compared to 105 in the four years prior.

The territory's suicide rate is Australia's highest by far, with a rate of 20.5 lives lost per 100,000, driven by a disproportionate number of deaths in the territory bush.

The alarming figures come after the Productivity Commission's third annual Closing The Gap report in July showed Indigenous suicide was one of four of 19 targets actually worsening for Indigenous people, with 27.1 people per 100,000 taking their own life in 2021.

On the Tiwi Islands this week, Labor MP Marion Scrymgour said the community of Wurrumiyanga had seen three suicides in less than a week.

"It's had a major impact on both islands," Ms Scrymgour said.

"There's a lot of sadness in the community at the moment.

"The status quo can't continue – we've gotta get some changes happening on the ground in community, and it needs to start from the federal government, to the NT, to local communities.

"Because I get a bit tired of going and seeing families crying, and hearing their grief."

Ms Scrymgour's comments come as remote Indigenous communities on opposite sides of the Top End were left shocked by the suicides, which included the death of a prominent Tiwi footballer.

The Tiwi Bombers Football Club released a statement saying one of their players, who the NIT is not naming out of respect for Tiwi cultural protocol, had passed away.

"The Tiwi Bombers FC mourn the loss of a son, our playing groups and support staff have lost a brother, our Tiwi Bombers community loss of a family member," the statement read.

"We send our love and prayers out to the families and friends of our beloved teammate.

"There's no way to measure the impact this has and will continue to have on our club and wider Tiwi community, we will group together, we will stand by each other, we will support one another."

NT's Suicide Prevention Minister, Lauren Moss, said AFL NT had reached out to the government over how to help support the football club and wider Tiwi community through the tragedy.

"This will impact AFL NT. They will be feeling this really strongly, the Tiwi Bombers and the community around them will be feeling this really strongly," Ms Moss said.

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