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National Suicide Statistics at a Glance

Percentage of Suicides Among Persons Ages 65 Years and Older, by Race/Ethnicity and Mechanism, United States, 2005-2009

Race/Ethnicity: Asian/PI** Mechanism: Other Number of deaths: 77 Percentage of deaths: 13.3%Race/Ethnicity: Asian/PI** Mechanism: Fall Number of deaths: 45 Percentage of deaths: 7.8%Race/Ethnicity: Asian/PI** Mechanism: Poisoning Number of deaths: 59 Percentage of deaths: 10.2%Race/Ethnicity: Asian/PI** Mechanism: Suffocation Number of deaths: 304 Percentage of deaths: 52.4%Race/Ethnicity: Asian/PI** Mechanism: Firearm Number of deaths: 95 Percentage of deaths: 16.4%Race/Ethnicity: AI/AK Native** Mechanism: Other Number of deaths: 1 Percentage of deaths: 1.7%Race/Ethnicity: AI/AK Native** Mechanism: Poisoning Number of deaths: 10 Percentage of deaths: 16.7%Race/Ethnicity: AI/AK Native** Mechanism: Suffocation Number of deaths: 4 Percentage of deaths: 6.7%Race/Ethnicity: AI/AK Native** Mechanism: Firearm Number of deaths: 45 Percentage of deaths: 75.0%Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic Mechanism: Other Number of deaths: 80 Percentage of deaths: 8.7%Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic Mechanism: Fall Number of deaths: 38 Percentage of deaths: 4.1%Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic Mechanism: Poisoning Number of deaths: 84 Percentage of deaths: 9.1%Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic Mechanism: Suffocation Number of deaths: 244 Percentage of deaths: 26.6%Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic Mechanism: Firearm Number of deaths: 473 Percentage of deaths: 51.5%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black Mechanism: Other Number of deaths: 69 Percentage of deaths: 9.6%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black Mechanism: Fall Number of deaths: 15 Percentage of deaths: 2.1%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black Mechanism: Poisoning Number of deaths: 34 Percentage of deaths: 4.7%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black Mechanism: Suffocation Number of deaths: 63 Percentage of deaths: 8.8%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black Mechanism: Firearm Number of deaths: 538 Percentage of deaths: 74.8%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic White Mechanism: Other Number of deaths: 1,090 Percentage of deaths: 4.3%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic White Mechanism: Fall Number of deaths: 346 Percentage of deaths: 1.4%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic White Mechanism: Poisoning Number of deaths: 2,936 Percentage of deaths: 11.6%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic White Mechanism: Suffocation Number of deaths: 2,204 Percentage of deaths: 8.7%Race/Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic White Mechanism: Firearm Number of deaths: 18,801 Percentage of deaths: 74.1%
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During 2005-2009, the greatest percentage of suicides occurred by firearm among all race/ethnicity groups for persons ages 65 years and older (Non-Hispanic Whites: 74.1%, Non-Hispanic Blacks: 74.8%, Hispanics: 51.5%, American Indian/Alaskan Natives: 75.0%) except for Asian/Pacific Islanders. For Asian/Pacific Islanders, suffocation accounted for the highest percentage of suicides among those 65 years and older (52.4%).

Footnote: **AI/AI Native: American Indian/ Alaskan Native, PI: Pacific Islander

Back to National Suicide Statistics at a Glance

 
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