Since the 1950s, the suicide rate in the United States has been significantly higher among men than women. In 2022, the suicide rate among men was almost four times higher than that of women. However, the rate of suicide for both men and women has increased gradually over the past couple of decades. Facts on suicide in the United States In 2022, the rate of suicide death in the United States was around 14 per 100,000 population. The suicide rate in the U.S. has generally increased since the year 2000, with the highest rates ever recorded in the years 2018 and 2022. In the United States, death rates from suicide are highest among those aged 45 to 64 years and lowest among younger adults aged 15 to 24. The states with the highest rates of suicide are Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming, while New Jersey and Massachusetts have the lowest rates. Suicide among men In 2023, around 4.5 percent of men in the United States reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Although this rate is lower than that of women, men still have a higher rate of suicide death than women. One reason for this may have to do with the method of suicide. Although firearms account for the largest share of suicide deaths among both men and women, firearms account for almost 60 percent of all suicides among men and just 35 percent among women. Suffocation and poisoning are the other most common methods of suicide among women, with the chances of surviving a suicide attempt from these methods being much higher than surviving an attempt by firearm. The age group with the highest rate of suicide death among men is by far those aged 75 years and over.

As of 2022, the U.S. states with the highest death rates from suicide were Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming. In Wyoming and Montana, there were around ** and ** suicide deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. In comparison, in New Jersey, the state with the lowest suicide death rate, there were only around * suicide deaths per 100,000 population. Differences in suicide rates by gender In the United States, there is a vast difference in suicide rates between men and women, with rates over *** times higher among men. However, rates of suicide for both men and women have increased over the past couple of decades. Among men, those aged 75 years and older have the highest suicide rates, with around ** deaths per 100,000 population in 2021. Among women, those aged 45 to 64 years have the highest rates of suicide death with *** deaths per 100,000 population. What is the most common method of suicide? In the United States, the most common method of suicide is with firearms, followed by suffocation and then poisoning. In 2022, there were around ****** suicide deaths from firearms in the United States, compared to ****** deaths from suffocation and ***** from drug poisoning. In 2021, firearms accounted for around ** percent of suicide deaths among men. In comparison, around ** percent of deaths from suicide among women were due to firearms, while suffocation and poisoning each accounted for ** percent of such deaths.

The suicide rate among females in the United States is highest for those aged 45 to 64 years and lowest among girls aged 10 to 14 and elderly women 75 and over. Although the suicide rate among women remains over three times lower than that of men, rates of suicide among women have gradually increased over the past couple decades. Suicide among women in the United States In 2021, there were around six suicide deaths per 100,000 women in the United States. In comparison, the rate of suicide among women in the year 2000 was about four per 100,000. Suicide rates among women are by far the highest among American Indians or Alaska Natives and lowest among Hispanic and Black or African American women. Although firearms are involved in the highest share of suicide deaths among both men and women, they account for a much smaller share among women. In 2020, the firearm suicide rate among women was 1.8 per 100,000 population, while the rates of suicide for suffocation and poisoning were 1.7 and 1.5 per 100,000, respectively. Suicidal ideation among women Although not everyone who experiences suicidal ideation, or suicidal thoughts, will attempt suicide, suicidal thoughts are a risk factor for suicide. In 2022, just over five percent of women in the United States reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Suicidal thoughts are more common among women than men even though men have much higher rates of death from suicide than women. This is because men are more likely to use more lethal methods of suicide such as firearms. Women who suffer from substance use disorder are significantly more likely to have serious thoughts of suicide than women without substance use disorder.

The graph illustrates the number of deaths per day in the United States from 1950 to 2025. The x-axis represents the years, abbreviated from '50 to '24, while the y-axis indicates the daily number of deaths. Over this 75-year period, the number of deaths per day ranges from a low of 4,054 in 1950 to a high of 9,570 in 2021. Notable figures include 6,855 deaths in 2010 and 8,333 in 2024. The data shows a general upward trend in daily deaths over the decades, with recent years experiencing some fluctuations. This information is presented in a line graph format, effectively highlighting the long-term trends and yearly variations in daily deaths across the United States.

Among men in the United States, those aged 75 years and older have the highest death rate from suicide among all age groups. In 2022, the suicide death rate among men aged 75 years and older was 43.9 per 100,000 population. In comparison, the death rate from suicide among men aged 25 to 44 years was 29.6 per 100,000. Suicide is a significant problem in the United States, with rates increasing over the past decade. Suicide among men In the United States, the suicide rate among men is almost four times higher than that of women. In 2022, the rate of suicide among U.S. men was 23 per 100,000 population, the highest rate recorded over the past 70 years. Firearms account for the vast majority of suicide deaths among men, accounting for around 60 percent of male suicides in 2021. The reasons why U.S. men have higher rates of suicide than women are complex and not fully understood, but may have to do with the more violent means by which men carry out suicide and the stigma around seeking help for mental health issues. Suicide among women Although the suicide rate among women in the U.S. is significantly lower than that of men, the rate of suicide among women has increased over the past couple of decades. Among women, those aged 45 to 64 years have the highest death rates due to suicide, followed by women 25 to 44 years old. Interestingly, the share of women reporting serious thoughts of suicide in the past year is higher than that of men, with around 5.5 percent of U.S. women reporting such thoughts in 2023. Similarly to men, firearms account for most suicide deaths among women, however suffocation and poisoning account for a significant share of suicides among women. In 2021, around 35 percent of suicides among women were carried out by firearms, while suffocation and poisoning each accounted for around 28 percent of suicide deaths.

Prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation of varying severities and at different periods.

Over *** thousand deaths due to suicides were recorded in India in 2022. Furthermore, majority of suicides were reported in the state of Tamil Nadu, followed by Rajasthan. The number of suicides that year had increased from the previous year. Some of the causes for suicides in the country were due to professional problems, abuse, violence, family problems, financial loss, sense of isolation and mental disorders. Depressive disorders and suicide As of 2015, over ****** million people worldwide suffered from some kind of depressive disorder. Furthermore, over ** percent of the total population in India suffer from different forms of mental disorders as of 2017. There exists a positive correlation between the number of suicide mortality rates and people with select mental disorders as opposed to those without. Risk factors for mental disorders Every ******* person in India suffers from some form of mental disorder. Today, depressive disorders are regarded as the leading contributor not only to disease burden and morbidity worldwide, but even suicide if not addressed. In 2022, the leading cause for suicide deaths in India was due to family problems. The second leading cause was due to illness. Some of the risk factors, relative to developing mental disorders including depressive and anxiety disorders, include bullying victimization, poverty, unemployment, childhood sexual abuse and intimate partner violence.

Over the past couple decades the death rate from intentional self-harm (suicide) in Canada has remained relatively stable. In 2000, the death rate from suicide was 11.7 per 100,000 population. However, the rate had slightly decreased by 2023 to 9.5 deaths per 100,000. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are always considered a psychiatric emergency that requires immediate assistance from a health care provider. Suicide globally The statistics on suicide vary drastically by country. As of 2019, the countries with the highest rates of suicide included Lesotho, Guyana, and Eswatini. Suicide statistics also vary by gender. As an example, the suicide rate among men in Lithuania in 2021 was almost five times greater than the suicide rate among Lithuanian women. Suicide in North America Suicide rates in North America also differ drastically by age and gender. In Canada, the rate of deaths due to suicide is highest among those aged 50 to 54 years. Much like in Canada, the United States shows higher rates of suicides among older adults, with those aged 45 to 64 years with the highest rates of suicide. In North America, as well as globally, the death rate from suicide is higher among men. In the United States, the death rate from suicide among men is almost four times greater than the death rate from suicide among women.

Prevalence of non-fatal suicidal self-directed violence, by type and period.

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

In 2024, the 50- to 59-year-old age group had the highest suicide rate in Japan, with **** suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The self-inflicted death rate among young people under 20 years was ***. Japan's recent suicide rates While the country's suicide rate had initially shown a downward trend in the most recent decade, 2020 marked the first year that the suicide numbers rose again. The COVID-19 pandemic likely caused this unexpected upward trend. From a gender perspective, Japanese men were more likely to commit suicide than women. **** deaths per 100,000 male inhabitants were reported in 2024, compared to a female suicide rate of **** in the same year. What are the reasons behind Japan’s high suicide rates?  Many factors are being blamed for the Japan's high suicide rates, including bullying, isolation, and a lack of a proficient mental healthcare system. Among others, financial worries and problems directly related to work have been one of the main reasons for self-inflicted deaths in the past years. Historically, the country's high suicide rates have been closely linked to the economic situation of the individuals. Japan’s suicide numbers peaked in 2009 when the country experienced its worst recession since World War II.

In 2022, around 80 percent of transgender people in the United States had considered suicide, while around 40 percent had attempted suicide. There has been an upward trend in both the considered and attempted suicide rate since 2000, when 61 percent of transgender people considered committing suicide and 28 percent had attempted it.

In 2021, there were 3,769 deaths in Canada from suicide. This was a decrease from the year before in which 4,152 people died from suicide. The death rate from suicide in Canada in 2021 was 9.9 per 100,000 population, the lowest rate seen over the past two decades. Warning signs of suicide can include suicidal ideation, withdrawal from family and friends, increased alcohol or drug use, dramatic mood swings, and impulsive or reckless behavior.

Suicide by age Although suicide is more common among some age groups than others, mental health issues and suicide impact people of all ages. Of the 3,769 suicide deaths recorded in Canada in 2021, 344 were among those aged 30 to 34 years. This was the highest number of suicides among all age groups. However, those aged 50 to 54 years had the highest death rate from suicide at that time with 13.4 deaths per 100,000 population. The age group with the second highest suicide death rate was those aged 30 to 39 years, with a rate of 12.8 deaths per 100,000 population.

The mental health status of Canadians Most people who resort to suicide suffer from mental health issues, which is one reason why open discussion around mental health and access to mental health treatment are so important. In 2021, almost 12 percent of Canadians stated that their mental health was just fair or poor. The share of Canadians reporting fair or poor mental health has increased in recent years and hit a high in 2021, perhaps in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, almost 10 percent of Canadians now report that they have been diagnosed with a mood disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, mania, or dysthymia. Depression is one of the most common mental health issues, but is also often easily treated through therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of these.

As of 2022, the third leading cause of death among teenagers aged 15 to 19 years in the United States was intentional self-harm or suicide, contributing around 17 percent of deaths among age group. The leading cause of death at that time was unintentional injuries, contributing to around 37.4 percent of deaths, while 21.8 percent of all deaths in this age group were due to assault or homicide. Cancer and heart disease, the overall leading causes of death in the United States, are also among the leading causes of death among U.S. teenagers. Adolescent suicide in the United States In 2021, around 22 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Female students were around twice as likely to report seriously considering suicide compared to male students. In 2022, Montana had the highest rate of suicides among U.S. teenagers with around 39 deaths per 100,000 teenagers, followed by South Dakota with a rate of 33 per 100,000. The states with the lowest death rates among adolescents are New York and New Jersey. Mental health treatment Suicidal thoughts are a clear symptom of mental health issues. Mental health issues are not rare among children and adolescents, and treatment for such issues has become increasingly accepted and accessible. In 2021, around 15 percent of boys and girls aged 5 to 17 years had received some form of mental health treatment in the past year. At that time, around 35 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 years in the United States who were receiving specialty mental health services were doing so because they had thought about killing themselves or had already tried to kill themselves.

In 2019, there were six deaths by homicide per 100,000 of the population in the United States, compared to 5.9 deaths by homicide in the previous year. This is an increase from 1950, when there were 5.1 deaths by homicide per 100,000 resident population in the United States. However, within the provided time period, the death rate for homicide in the U.S. was highest in 1980, when there were 10.4 deaths by homicide per 100,000 of the population in the United States.

Homicides in the United States

The term homicide is used when a human being is killed by another human being. Criminal homicide takes several forms, for example murder; but homicide is not always a crime, it also includes affirmative defense, insanity, self-defense or the execution of convicted criminals. In the United States, youth homicide has especially been seen as a problem of urban areas, due to poverty, limited adult supervision, involvement in drug and gang activities, and school failure. Both homicide rates and suicide rates in the U.S. among people aged 20 to 24 and teenagers aged 15 to 19 have vastly increased since 2001.

As of 2023, the countries with the highest death rates worldwide were Monaco, Bulgaria, and Latvia. In these countries, there were ** to ** deaths per 1,000 people. The country with the lowest death rate is Qatar, where there is just *** death per 1,000 people. Leading causes of death The leading causes of death worldwide are, by far, cardiovascular diseases, accounting for ** percent of all deaths in 2021. That year, there were **** million deaths worldwide from ischaemic heart disease and **** million from stroke. Interestingly, a worldwide survey from that year found that people greatly underestimate the proportion of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, but overestimate the proportion of deaths caused by suicide, interpersonal violence, and substance use disorders. Death in the United States In 2023, there were around **** million deaths in the United States. The leading causes of death in the United States are currently heart disease and cancer, accounting for a combined ** percent of all deaths in 2023. Lung and bronchus cancer is the deadliest form of cancer worldwide, as well as in the United States. In the U.S. this form of cancer is predicted to cause around ****** deaths among men alone in the year 2025. Prostate cancer is the second-deadliest cancer for men in the U.S. while breast cancer is the second deadliest for women. In 2023, the tenth leading cause of death in the United States was COVID-19. Deaths due to COVID-19 resulted in a significant rise in the total number of deaths in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019, and it was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. during those years.

In 2022, reported dowry death cases in India amounted to nearly *** thousand. This was a gradual decrease from the 2014, in which this number was approximately *** thousand. The dowry system in India incorporates payments in the form of capital, durable goods, real estate among others, made to the bridegroom from the family of the bride as a condition for marriage. The Hindu Succession Act Until its amendment in 2005, the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 was biased towards the male next of kin when it came to property inheritance. The amendment stated that women had right to their parents’ property irrespective of being married. However, in practice, the inheritance of the women is socially imparted to her as dowry in marriage leading to financial dependence on the husband or the in-laws. This economic handicap has hindered progress towards equality among men and women the most. To prevent the economic abuse of women, The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 was passed by the government which prohibits the giving or taking of dowry in India. How well are policies for women implemented? Domestic violence against women, assault, religious and cultural traditions are the predominant perpetrators of endangering women’s safety around the world. In 2018, India was the world’s most dangerous country for women. The general consensus regarding women’s safety suggested that the citizens of the country perceived the efforts to increase women’s safety as ineffective. Although public opinion about the central government’s policy is changing, the capital territory of the country was one of the most unsafe regions for women in India, thus questioning the effectiveness of the government regulations for women’s safety.