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.

Data on death rates for suicide, by selected population characteristics. Please refer to the PDF or Excel version of this table in the HUS 2019 Data Finder (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/contents2019.htm) for critical information about measures, definitions, and changes over time. SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System (NVSS); Grove RD, Hetzel AM. Vital statistics rates in the United States, 1940–1960. National Center for Health Statistics. 1968; numerator data from NVSS annual public-use Mortality Files; denominator data from U.S. Census Bureau national population estimates; and Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Arias E, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2018. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 69 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/nvsr.htm. For more information on the National Vital Statistics System, see the corresponding Appendix entry at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-appendix-508.pdf.

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.

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.

The average for 2019 based on 12 countries was 11.65 suicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in Guyana: 40.3 suicides per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Venezuela: 2.1 suicides per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 2000 to 2019. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

South Korea currently has the highest overall suicide rate among OECD countries worldwide. The suicide rate among women in South Korea is significantly higher than that of women in any other country. Nevertheless, suicide is commonly more prevalent among men than women. Suicide in the U.S. The suicide rate in the United States has risen since the year 2000. As of 2022, there were around **** deaths from suicide per 100,000 population. The suicide rate among men in the U.S. is over ***** times what it is for females, a considerable and troubling difference. The suicide rate among men increases with age, with the highest rates found among men aged 75 years and older. Adolescent suicide Adolescent suicide is always a serious and difficult topic. A recent survey found that around ** percent of female high school students in the United States had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, compared to ** percent of male students. On average, there are around ** suicide deaths among adolescents per 100,000 population in the United States. The states with the highest rates of adolescent suicide include New Mexico, Idaho, and Oklahoma.

United States US: Suicide Mortality Rate: Male data was reported at 23.600 NA in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 23.000 NA for 2015. United States US: Suicide Mortality Rate: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 20.700 NA from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.600 NA in 2016 and a record low of 17.900 NA in 2000. United States US: Suicide Mortality Rate: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Suicide mortality rate is the number of suicide deaths in a year per 100,000 population. Crude suicide rate (not age-adjusted).; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).; Weighted average;

The countries with the highest suicide mortality rate worldwide in 2019 included Lesotho, Guyana, and Eswatini. Suicide rates of men are much higher than among women in many countries. Lithuania has one of the highest suicide rates for men as of 2019, while South Korea reports the highest suicide rate for women.

In the United States

Although the United States is not among the countries with the highest suicide mortality rate, suicide is still one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. As with other countries, the suicide rate among males in the U.S. is much higher than among females. The age group with the highest rate of suicide is those aged 45 to 64 years, followed by 25 to 44-year-olds. The states with the highest suicide rates are Wyoming, Alaska, and Montana.

Risk factors and help

Major risk factors for suicide include mental health issues and substance abuse problems; however, it can be difficult to predict who is at risk. Warning signs such as talking about wanting to die, expressing feelings of depression, suicidal ideation, and abusing drugs or alcohol should be taken seriously and help should be sought as soon as possible. Suicide hotlines exist in many countries around the world and one should not hesitate to discuss such issues and feelings with a health care provider.

According to the latest available data, there were around **** suicide deaths per 100,000 population in the United States in 2022. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. highlighting the need for awareness and prevention. The suicide rate in the U.S. has risen for both men and women in recent years but remains over ***** times higher for men. Hospitalizations In 2021, there were around ******* adults hospitalized in the U.S. after a suicide attempt. Although the suicide rate among men is significantly higher than among women, there are more hospitalizations after suicide attempts for women than for men. In 2019, there were ******* such hospitalizations among women and ******* hospitalizations among men. Public opinionSuicide can be a divisive topic that involves religious and political views. Recent data shows that ** percent of the U.S. population believes suicide is morally wrong, while ** percent believe it to be morally acceptable. However, only ** percent of adults believe it is “very important” to invest public dollars in the prevention of suicide.

United States US: Suicide Mortality Rate: per 100,000 Population data was reported at 15.300 Number in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.000 Number for 2015. United States US: Suicide Mortality Rate: per 100,000 Population data is updated yearly, averaging 13.200 Number from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.300 Number in 2016 and a record low of 11.300 Number in 2000. United States US: Suicide Mortality Rate: per 100,000 Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. Suicide mortality rate is the number of suicide deaths in a year per 100,000 population. Crude suicide rate (not age-adjusted).; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).; Weighted Average;

Olympic athletes: the epitome of health and fitness, role models for their communities, and competing on the world stage. Is there a cost incurred by highlighting the achievements of these elite athletes? Suicide, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is death by injuring oneself whereby death was the intent (Suicide Prevention: Facts, 2022). A person harming themselves with death as the intention but not the outcome is classified as a suicide attempt (Suicide Prevention: Facts, 2022). In the general population, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, especially amongst younger people where it is the fourth leading cause of death (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022). In 2019, the global age-standardized suicide rate was 9 deaths per 100,000 people (World Health Organization (WHO), 2021). The risk factors for suicide are multifaceted and complex, ranging from a history of mental health issues, serious illnesses, chronic pain, financial stress, substance use, adverse childhood experiences, and difficulties in relationships (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022). Differences in sociodemographic variables have been linked with suicide rates (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022). For example, the suicide rate for males (~12.6 per 100,000) is typically higher than females (5.4 per 100,000) (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022). Economic factors may also play a role given the largest portion of deaths by suicide occur in lower-income and middle-income countries (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022), yet high-income countries report higher age-standardized rates of suicide (10.9 per 100,000) (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022). More than half (58%) of global suicides occur in persons less than 50 years of age (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022) implicating stage of life as a plausible risk factor linked with death by suicide. Overall, suicide rates have been declining since 2000 with a 36% reduction noted in 2019 compared with 20 years earlier (Suicide Prevention: Risk, 2022).

Sports and athletes can be ‘newsworthy’, so there is heightened media attention when high-profile athletes die from suicide. Research examining suicide and athletes has focused primarily on collegiate (or university-level) athletes. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) over a nine-year period, the rate of death by suicide in athletes was 1.35 per 100,000 in males, and 0.37 per 100,000 in females, both of which are lower than suicide rates for age-matched students (Rao et al., 2015). NCAA football had the highest relative rates of suicide at 2.25 per 100,000 yet this rate is still lower compared against other students matched for age and sex (Rao et al., 2015). In football, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE) has been gaining traction as one risk factor leading to death by suicide (Rao, 2018). To date, studies of suicide and athletes competing at other levels of sport (e.g., Olympics, etc.) appear sparse. One study of US Olympians compared mental disorders, substance abuse, and self-harm reported by athletes with the public noting athletes had a lower risk of death by suicide from these factors (Rao, 2018). Suicidal ideation was reported by 1 in 6 Swedish athletes competing at the international level (Timpka et al., 2019). Finally, retirement may be a factor to consider in suicide prevention initiatives given that male athletes competing in power sports (e.g., wrestling, Olympic lifting, etc.) retiring between 30 and 50 years of age were 2 to 4 times more likely to die by suicide than non-athletes of the same ages (Lindqvist et al., 2014).

To date, limited research has been reported on Olympic athletes and suicide. Further research is warranted to determine the frequency of suicide rates in Olympians plus identifiable risk factors for death by suicide reported by this cohort of elite athletes.

In 2021, there were around seven suicides per 100,000 white females in the United States, while there were almost 14 suicides per 100,000 females among American Indians or Alaska Natives. This statistic illustrates the female suicide rate in the United States from 2019 to 2021, by race and ethnicity.

In 2022, there were 6,407 suicide deaths among veterans in the United States. In the period 2001 to 2022, the year 2018 saw the highest number of suicide deaths among veterans. This statistic displays the number of suicide deaths among veterans in the United States from 2001 to 2022.

Download data on suicides in Massachusetts by demographics and year. This page also includes reporting on military & veteran suicide, and suicides during COVID-19.

In 2021, the mining industry had the highest suicide rate among males in the United States with 72 such deaths per 100,000 population. The second highest rate was in the construction industry with 56 deaths per 100,000 working males aged 16 to 64 years. This statistic shows the suicide rate among working male civilians in the U.S. in 2021, by industry.

Linkages between climate and mental health are often theorized but remain poorly quantified. In particular, it is unknown whether suicide, a leading cause of death globally, is systematically affected by climatic conditions. Using multiple decades of comprehensive data from both the US and Mexico, we find that suicide rates rise 0.7% in US counties and 2.1% in Mexican municipalities for a 1C increase in monthly average temperature. This effect is similar in hotter versus cooler regions and has not diminished over time, indicating limited historical adaptation. Analysis of depressive language in >600 million social media updates further suggests that mental wellbeing deteriorates during warmer periods. We project that unmitigated climate change (RCP8.5) could result in a combined 9-40 thousand additional suicides (95% CI) across the US and Mexico by 2050, representing an change in suicide rates comparable to the estimated impact of economic recessions, suicide prevention programs, or gun restriction laws.

In 2021, the highest suicide rate in the U.S. for working males was among musicians, singers, and related workers with around 139 suicide deaths per 100,000 population. This statistic shows the suicide rate among working male civilians in the U.S. in 2021, by detailed occupation group.

This horizontal bar chart displays suicide mortality rate (per 100,000 population) by ISO 2 country code using the aggregation average, weighted by population in the United States. The data is about countries per year.

In 2021, firearms were the most common method of suicide among women aged 55 to 84 years, followed closely by poisoning. That year, there were *** deaths from suicide by firearm among U.S. women aged 55 to 64 years per 100,000 population. This statistic shows the suicide rate among women age ** and older in the United States in 2021, by age and mechanism of death.

This horizontal bar chart displays suicide mortality rate (per 100,000 population) by ISO 3 country code using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Central America. The data is about countries.