BACKGROUND: Rates of self-harm appear high in South Asian young women in the United Kingdom (UK) although previous studies were mostly small. Data on treatment and outcomes for South Asians are lacking. This study compared rates of self-harm, socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, provision of services and risk of repetition by ethnicity. METHOD: A prospective cohort of adult self-harm attendees (n = 7185), aged 15 and over presenting to four emergency departments in the cities of Manchester and Salford, UK over a 4-year period. RESULTS: The study included 299 South Asians. South Asian women aged 16-24 years were more likely to self-harm than Whites of the same age group (1010.9 vs. 754 per 100,000). Across all age groups the rates of self-harm were lower in South Asian men compared to White men and to South Asian women. South Asian women were significantly more likely to report relationship problems within the family than White women (32% vs. 19%, P =