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Suicide Statistics

Learn the latest published statistics on suicide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Data & Statistics Fatal Injury Report for 2022, retrieved May 11, 2024.

Access additional verified data from the CDC. Preliminary unverified quarterly mortality rates are also available but are not used for this page. Suicide rates listed are Age-Adjusted Rates. AFSP fact sheets are updated annually. We also list citation information for the information below as well as our fact sheets. All statistics presented on this page pertain to the United States. Click here to view global suicide statistics.

Suicide is the

11th

leading cause of death in the US

In 2022,

49,476

Americans died by suicide

In 2022, there were an estimated

1.6M

suicide attempts

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Additional facts about suicide in the US

Suicide Rates in the United States

Make a selection below to see the data for your state. The national average is represented in gray. You can also download our Suicide Facts & Figures national fact sheet or view all state fact sheets.

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Suicide rates by age range

In 2022, rates were highest for adults ages 85+ years (23.02 per 100,000) and next highest for those 75 to 84 years (20.26 per 100,000). Compared with rates in 2021, the suicide rates increased for those age 35 and older and decreased for those age 34 and below. Youth below age 25 have had consistently lower suicide rates than middle-aged and older adults. In 2022, adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 rates declined from 15.15 per 100,000 to a suicide rate of 13.62 per 100,000.

Suicide rates by race/ethnicity and sex

In 2022, the highest U.S. age-adjusted suicide rate was among American Indians and Alaskan Natives (16.11 per 100,000) and the second highest rate was among Whites (15.83 per 100,000). Much lower rates were found among Black or African Americans (8.60 per 100,000) and Asians and Pacific Islanders (6.93 per 100,000). Discover mental health resources for underrepresented communities.

Note that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records Hispanic origin separately from the primary racial or ethnic groups of White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Asian or Pacific Islander, since individuals in all groups may also be Hispanic. Overall, across groups, the age-adjusted rate of suicide for non-Hispanics was 15.42 per 100,000 and the rate for Hispanics was 8.08 per 100,000.

Suicide methods

In 2022, firearms were the most common method of death by suicide, accounting for a little more than half (54.64%) of all suicide deaths. The next most common methods were suffocation (including hangings) at 24.75% and poisoning (including drug overdose) at 12.43%.

Construction, Suicide Prevention, and Mental Health Support

Mental health support is crucial in the construction industry. That's why Bechtel and AFSP are partnering to prevent construction worker suicides.

Suicide attempts

When it comes to suicide and suicide attempts there are rate differences depending on demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity and race. Nonetheless, suicide occurs in all demographic groups.

In the U.S., no complete count of suicide attempt data are available. The CDC gathers data from hospitals on non-fatal injuries from self-harm as well as survey data.

In 2021, (the most recent year for which data are available), the rate of visits to the emergency departments for nonfatal self-harm injuries was approximately 148.2 per 100,000 people.

Based on the 2022 National Survey of Drug Use and Mental Health it is estimated that 0.6% of the adults aged 18 or older made at least one suicide attempt. This translates to approximately 1.6 million adults. With regard to race and ethnicity, suicide attempts ranged from 1.5% among American Indian or Alaskan Native or Multiracial adults to 0.1 percent in Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. The rate of attempts for Blacks was 0.9% and the rate for rate for Whites and Hispanic adults were 0.6%. The rate for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and Asian adults was 0.2%.

Based on the most recent Youth Risk Behaviors Survey from 2021 (most recent results), 10.0% of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted 1.86 times as often as male students (13% vs. 7%). American Indian or Alaska Native students reported the highest rate of attempt (16%) with white students at 9%. Approximately 3% of all students reported making a suicide attempt that required treatment by a doctor or nurse.

Real stories of hope

Supporting your Mental Health While Navigating Change

By Doreen Marshall, Ph.D., Former AFSP Vice President of Mission Engagement

Working Toward a Common Goal: Preventing Firearm Suicides in Veterans

By Doreen Marshall, Ph.D., Former AFSP Vice President of Mission Engagement

COVID-19: We Must Care for Older Adults’ Mental Health

By Christine Yu Moutier, M.D., AFSP Chief Medical Officer

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About AFSP

Learn about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Advocate for suicide prevention

Learn how American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Volunteer Advocates are helping our public policy office in Washington, D.C. to pass suicide prevention policies that will save lives.

Boards, committees and councils

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s National Board, Councils and Committees are dedicated to the fight to stop suicide.

Action Center

Visit our Action Center to stay up to date on the federal and state bills that need your support.