Suicide is a serious public health concern and one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. It occurs across all age, economic, social, racial and ethnic groups and certain risk factors vary by factors like age, gender and ethnic group.
It’s important to keep in mind that suicide is preventable. Family and community support and access to mental health care can decrease suicidal thoughts and behaviors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Here’s a look at how suicide impacts individuals and communities in the U.S.
- Over four times as many men as women die by suicide in the U.S.
- Suicide rates increased by 36% between 2000 to 2021
- Suicide accounted for 48,183 deaths in 2021, which is approximately one death every 11 minutes
- An estimated 12.3 million adults in the U.S. seriously considered suicide in 2021, with 3.5 million planning a suicide attempt and 1.7 million attempting suicide
- Provisional data suggests that nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide in 2022, which is a 3% increase from 2021
- Suicide rates declined for men ages 34 and younger in 2022 and increased in males ages 35 and older
- For women, suicide rates declined for those aged 24 and younger in 2022 and increased for those 25 and older
- In 2022, suicide rates increased for nearly all races and Hispanic-origin groups
- Suicide rates for people in age groups 10 to 14, 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 fell by 18%, 9% and 2% respectively from 2021 to 2022
- However, rates increased 3% to 9% for all age groups 35 and older
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health condition, help is available and accessible. You can call or text ‘988’ (or chat online on 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s website) for free, confidential, and immediate help. You can also call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to access the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 helpline.
Read on for stats around the current state of mental health, including how many people experience mental health conditions and which populations are most at risk.
