Suicide Statistics in the United States

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Suicide RateSuicide Rate Statistic BreakdownsHow the United States ComparesDepression and SuicideDepression and Suicide Warning SignsWhat to Do

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

The Suicide Rate

Suicide Rate Statistic Breakdowns

How the United States Compares

Depression and Suicide

Depression and Suicide Warning Signs

What to Do

Close

Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Suicides in the United States have been on the rise, increasing 37% between 2000 and 2018. While there was a 5% decrease between 2018 and 2020, these rates returned to their peak in 2021.Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death among Americans in 2021.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 10 and 34.The annual suicide rate in the U.S. is over 14 deaths per 100,000 population.

At a Glance

Suicide is linked to depression, other psychiatric conditions, and substance use. Recognizing the warning signs of suicide can help people know when to seek help and take steps to prevent suicide.

Press Play to Learn More About Suicide & Suicidal Ideation

The suicide rate is the number of completed suicides per 100,000 people. Attempted suicide is not counted in the suicide rate.

In addition to completed suicides, the CDC reports that in 2021, 12.3 million adults in the United States seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million people made a plan, and 1.7 million attempted suicide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gathers data from hospitals on cases ofself-harmand suicide each year. However, some suggest that these numbers are underreported due to the stigma surrounding suicide.

Suicide rates differ among age groups and other demographics.

Sex Differences

One primary reason for this disparity is that men are more likely to use firearms, whereas women are more likely to overdose on medications or drugs.

The suicide rate is highest among middle-aged white males. A 2015 study in theProceedings of the Natural Sciencesfound that the suicide rate among white, middle-aged Americanmen has increased dramatically in recent years.

Disparities in Suicide Rates

Where you live can also impact suicide risk. The suicide rate is 1.8 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

Suicide is expensive—not only in the emotional toll it takes but also in its real financial impact. Researchers suggest that the estimated loss is over $58 billion in medical costs and lost work.

Differences in Suicide Among Men and Women

The World Health Organization reports that nearly 700,000 people die worldwide each year from suicide, about one person every 40 seconds.Globally, it accounts for 1.3% of all deaths and was the 17th leading cause of death in 2019.

These global declines in suicide deaths are largely attributed to drops in the suicide rates in China and India. Other countries, including the United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, and Belize, all experienced significant increases in suicides over the same time period.

Research suggests that the majority of suicides are related to a psychiatric condition, including depression, substance use disorders, and psychosis. Estimates indicate that the suicide risk for mental illnesses, including depression,alcoholism, and schizophrenia is around 5% to 8%.

Depression and Risk of Suicide

There are warning signs you can watch for in those who may be at risk of attempting suicide. Suicide can affect anyone; there is no single type of person who may attempt or complete suicide.

The symptoms below are not exhaustive. However, these are the most common signs observed among people who may be contemplating taking their own life:

Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Suicide

If you or someone you know is depressed, there are effective treatments available.

Tips for Coping with Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

18 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide data and statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2021 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2023.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide mortality in the United States, 2001-2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional suicide deaths in the United States, 2022.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Facts about suicide.Cibis A, Mergl R, Bramesfeld A, et al.Preference of lethal methods is not the only cause for higher suicide rates in males.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2012;136(1-2):9-16. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.032Bommersbach TJ, Rosenheck RA, Petrakis IL, Rhee TG.Why are women more likely to attempt suicide than men? Analysis of lifetime suicide attempts among US adults in a nationally representative sample.J Affect Disord. 2022;311:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.096Case A, Deaton A.Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century.PNAS.2015;112(49):15078-15083. doi:10.1073/pnas.1518393112Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Disparities in suicide.Austin A, Craig SL, D’Souza S, McInroy LB.Suicidality among transgender youth: Elucidating the role of interpersonal risk factors[published correction appears in J Interpers Violence. 2020 Jul 29;:886260520946128].J Interpers Violence. 2022;37(5-6):NP2696-NP2718. doi:10.1177/0886260520915554Hedegaard H, Curtin SC, Warner M.Suicide mortality in the United States, 1999–2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 330. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.10 leading causes of death, United States, 2020, both sexes, all ages, all races.Shepard DS, Gurewich D, Lwin AK, Reed GA, Silverman MM.Suicide and Suicidal Attempts in the United States: Costs and Policy Implications.Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2016;46(3):352-362. doi:10.1111/sltb.12225World Health Organization.Suicide data.Naghavi M.Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.BMJ. 2019;364:l94. doi:10.1136/bmj.l94Ng CW, How CH, Ng YP.Depression in primary care: assessing suicide risk.Singapore Med J.2017;58(2):72-77. doi:10.11622/smedj.2017006Bradvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk and protective factors.

18 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide data and statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2021 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2023.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide mortality in the United States, 2001-2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional suicide deaths in the United States, 2022.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Facts about suicide.Cibis A, Mergl R, Bramesfeld A, et al.Preference of lethal methods is not the only cause for higher suicide rates in males.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2012;136(1-2):9-16. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.032Bommersbach TJ, Rosenheck RA, Petrakis IL, Rhee TG.Why are women more likely to attempt suicide than men? Analysis of lifetime suicide attempts among US adults in a nationally representative sample.J Affect Disord. 2022;311:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.096Case A, Deaton A.Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century.PNAS.2015;112(49):15078-15083. doi:10.1073/pnas.1518393112Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Disparities in suicide.Austin A, Craig SL, D’Souza S, McInroy LB.Suicidality among transgender youth: Elucidating the role of interpersonal risk factors[published correction appears in J Interpers Violence. 2020 Jul 29;:886260520946128].J Interpers Violence. 2022;37(5-6):NP2696-NP2718. doi:10.1177/0886260520915554Hedegaard H, Curtin SC, Warner M.Suicide mortality in the United States, 1999–2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 330. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.10 leading causes of death, United States, 2020, both sexes, all ages, all races.Shepard DS, Gurewich D, Lwin AK, Reed GA, Silverman MM.Suicide and Suicidal Attempts in the United States: Costs and Policy Implications.Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2016;46(3):352-362. doi:10.1111/sltb.12225World Health Organization.Suicide data.Naghavi M.Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.BMJ. 2019;364:l94. doi:10.1136/bmj.l94Ng CW, How CH, Ng YP.Depression in primary care: assessing suicide risk.Singapore Med J.2017;58(2):72-77. doi:10.11622/smedj.2017006Bradvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk and protective factors.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide data and statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2021 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2023.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide mortality in the United States, 2001-2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional suicide deaths in the United States, 2022.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Facts about suicide.Cibis A, Mergl R, Bramesfeld A, et al.Preference of lethal methods is not the only cause for higher suicide rates in males.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2012;136(1-2):9-16. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.032Bommersbach TJ, Rosenheck RA, Petrakis IL, Rhee TG.Why are women more likely to attempt suicide than men? Analysis of lifetime suicide attempts among US adults in a nationally representative sample.J Affect Disord. 2022;311:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.096Case A, Deaton A.Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century.PNAS.2015;112(49):15078-15083. doi:10.1073/pnas.1518393112Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Disparities in suicide.Austin A, Craig SL, D’Souza S, McInroy LB.Suicidality among transgender youth: Elucidating the role of interpersonal risk factors[published correction appears in J Interpers Violence. 2020 Jul 29;:886260520946128].J Interpers Violence. 2022;37(5-6):NP2696-NP2718. doi:10.1177/0886260520915554Hedegaard H, Curtin SC, Warner M.Suicide mortality in the United States, 1999–2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 330. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.10 leading causes of death, United States, 2020, both sexes, all ages, all races.Shepard DS, Gurewich D, Lwin AK, Reed GA, Silverman MM.Suicide and Suicidal Attempts in the United States: Costs and Policy Implications.Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2016;46(3):352-362. doi:10.1111/sltb.12225World Health Organization.Suicide data.Naghavi M.Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.BMJ. 2019;364:l94. doi:10.1136/bmj.l94Ng CW, How CH, Ng YP.Depression in primary care: assessing suicide risk.Singapore Med J.2017;58(2):72-77. doi:10.11622/smedj.2017006Bradvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk and protective factors.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide data and statistics.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2021 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2023.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide mortality in the United States, 2001-2021.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional suicide deaths in the United States, 2022.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Facts about suicide.

Cibis A, Mergl R, Bramesfeld A, et al.Preference of lethal methods is not the only cause for higher suicide rates in males.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2012;136(1-2):9-16. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.032

Bommersbach TJ, Rosenheck RA, Petrakis IL, Rhee TG.Why are women more likely to attempt suicide than men? Analysis of lifetime suicide attempts among US adults in a nationally representative sample.J Affect Disord. 2022;311:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.096

Case A, Deaton A.Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century.PNAS.2015;112(49):15078-15083. doi:10.1073/pnas.1518393112

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Disparities in suicide.

Austin A, Craig SL, D’Souza S, McInroy LB.Suicidality among transgender youth: Elucidating the role of interpersonal risk factors[published correction appears in J Interpers Violence. 2020 Jul 29;:886260520946128].J Interpers Violence. 2022;37(5-6):NP2696-NP2718. doi:10.1177/0886260520915554

Hedegaard H, Curtin SC, Warner M.Suicide mortality in the United States, 1999–2017. NCHS Data Brief, no 330. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.10 leading causes of death, United States, 2020, both sexes, all ages, all races.

Shepard DS, Gurewich D, Lwin AK, Reed GA, Silverman MM.Suicide and Suicidal Attempts in the United States: Costs and Policy Implications.Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2016;46(3):352-362. doi:10.1111/sltb.12225

World Health Organization.Suicide data.

Naghavi M.Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.BMJ. 2019;364:l94. doi:10.1136/bmj.l94

Ng CW, How CH, Ng YP.Depression in primary care: assessing suicide risk.Singapore Med J.2017;58(2):72-77. doi:10.11622/smedj.2017006

Bradvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk and protective factors.

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