The Scope of the Problem 9/17/2018 The Scope of the Problem SPRC encourages suicide prevention practitioners, health care professionals, policymakers, and journalists to base their work on the most current data available. Here you will find regularly updated data about the magnitude and patterns of suicidal behavior in the United States. 

Suicide in the United States: An Overview 9/17/2018 Suicide in the United States: An Overview Suicide rates by sex, homicide and suicide, and the geographic distribution of suicide.

9/17/2018 From 2000 to 2016, the suicide rate in the United States increased from 10.43 to 13.92 per 100,000. Among males the increase was from 17.11 to 21.83. Among females, the rate increased from 3.99 in 2000 to 6.24 in 2016.

9/17/2018 Suicides consistently outnumber homicides. The suicide rate is trending up, while the homicide rate (which had been trending down) has shown a slight increase in recent years.

9/17/2018 Suicide rates are generally higher in Western states and in rural areas.

9/17/2018 Suicide by Age Suicide rates by age, trends over time, and the leading causes of death by age group.

9/17/2018 Between 2000 and 2016, suicide rates increased among most age groups.

9/17/2018 Although suicide is one of the top four causes of death among people in the age groups between 10 and 44, the numbers of suicide deaths are higher in the age groups in the 45 to 65+ range.

Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Attempts Rates of suicidal ideation and attempts by age and sex.

9/17/2018 The annual number of people who die by suicide is greatly exceeded by the number of people who attempt suicide but do not die. For every suicide death, there are approximately 3 hospitalizations for an attempt; 9 emergency department visits for an attempt; and 27 attempts that do not result in hospitalizations or emergency department visits.

9/17/2018 Making a plan can be a precursor to a suicide attempt. Approximately 36 percent of people who make a suicide plan go on to make a suicide attempt. But it is important to remember that more than 23 percent of people who attempt suicide do not engage in any planning. Note that this chart does not include suicide attempts that resulted in death.

9/17/2018 The rates of both suicidal thoughts and attempts decline with age. However, the rate of suicide generally increases with age. 

9/17/2018 Women are at greater risk for suicidal ideation, attempts, and medically treated attempts than men. However, men die by suicide at a higher rate than women.  

9/17/2018 Rates of ideation (i.e., considering and planning suicide) among female high school students are nearly double those of male high school students. Thoughts and attempts among high school students are higher than among adults in general, although deaths among adolescents are lower.

9/17/2018 Suicidal thoughts decrease with age and are about the same among females and males.

Means of Suicide Data on the methods people use to end their lives.

9/17/2018 The most common means of suicide in the United States is a firearm, followed by suffocation and then poisoning.

9/17/2018 Fifty-seven percent (57%) of suicides among males involve a firearm.

9/17/2018 Among females, the leading means of suicide death is poisoning. This includes both drug and non-drug poisoning.

9/17/2018 Firearms are the most common method of suicide used by males of all ages, especially those ages 65 years and older. Among females, suffocation is the most common method among those ages 15 to 24, while poisoning is the most common method among females ages 25 to 64.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities 9/17/2018 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Suicide rates and patterns among racial and ethnic groups.

9/17/2018 Suicide rates vary by race and ethnicity. In 2016, the rate of suicide among American Indians/Alaska Natives was 21.39 per 100,000 and among whites it was 18.15. In contrast, the suicide rate among Asian/Pacific Islanders was 7.00; the rate for blacks was 6.35; and the rate among Hispanics was 6.38.

9/17/2018 Among American Indians and Alaska Natives, suicide rates peak during adolescence and young adulthood, then decline. This is a very different pattern than the overall age pattern in the United States.

Contact Us EDC Headquarters 43 Foundry Avenue Waltham, MA 02453 9/17/2018 Contact Us EDC Headquarters 43 Foundry Avenue Waltham, MA 02453 EDC Washington DC 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20007 edc.org SPRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under grant no.5U79SM059945 SPRC is a project of Education Development Center, Inc.