Most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization to compile the following list of suicide facts:
General Statistics (USA)
- Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US for all ages. (CDC)
- Every day, approximately 130 Americans die by suicide. (CDC)
- There is one death by suicide in the US every 11 minutes. (CDC)
- Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year. (CDC)
- Suicide takes the lives of over 47,500 Americans every year. (CDC)
- The highest suicide rates in the US are among Whites, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.
- Only half of all Americans experiencing an episode of major depression receive treatment. (NAMI)
- 80% -90% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication. (TADS study)
- An estimated 285,000 each year become suicide survivors. (AAS)
- There is one suicide for every estimated 25 suicide attempts. (CDC)
- There is one suicide for every estimated 4 suicide attempts in the elderly. (CDC)
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the world among young people ages 10-34 years. (CDC)
Suicide Deaths by Method
- Suicide among males is 4x’s higher than among females. Male deaths represent 79% of all US suicides. (CDC)
- In 2019, firearms were the most common method used in suicide deaths in the United States, accounting for a little over half of all suicide deaths (23,941). (CDC)
- Firearms are the most commonly used method of suicide by gender: among males (55.6%); among females (31.4%). (CDC)
- Among females, the most common methods of suicide were firearm (31.4%), poisoning (30.0%), and suffocation (29.0%). Among males, the most common methods of suicide were firearm (55.6%) followed by suffocation (28.4%). (CDC)
- In 2019, among adults across all age groups, the prevalence of serious suicidal thoughts was highest among young adults aged 18-25 (11.8%). (CDC)
Also see the CDC’s “Facts about Suicide”: www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
Information on suicide stats by region and country: World Health Statistics Data Visualizations Dashboard
Last reviewed January 2022
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