Suicide Data and Statistics

Infographic showing 2020 suicide data and statistics
For every suicide death, there are*:

Suicide Related Outcomes

Suicide Related Outcomes

Suicide Related Outcomes

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

Count

Count

Count

Year

Year

Year

Suicide death

Suicide Related Outcomes

Suicide death

1

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

1

44,298

Count

44,298

2020

Year

2020

Hospitalizations for suicide attempts**

Suicide Related Outcomes

Hospitalizations for suicide attempts**

4

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

4

186,000

Count

186,000

2018

Year

2018

Emergency department visits related to suicide**

Suicide Related Outcomes

Emergency department visits related to suicide**

8

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

8

363,893

Count

363,893

2020

Year

2020

Self-reported suicide attempts***

Suicide Related Outcomes

Self-reported suicide attempts***

27

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

27

1,200,000

Count

1,200,000

2020

Year

2020

People who seriously considered suicide***

Suicide Related Outcomes

People who seriously considered suicide***

275

# of Events for Every 1 Suicide

275

12,200,000

Count

12,200,000

2020

Year

2020

* Based on the latest year of available data for adults ages 18 and older.
** Source: CDC WISQARS
*** Source: 2020 SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Some groups have disproportionately high rates of suicide.†

The racial/ethnic groups with the highest suicide rates in 2020 were non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Natives and non-Hispanic Whites.

The suicide rate among males in 2020 was 4 times higher than the rate among females.

Males make up 49% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.

People ages 85 and older have the highest rates of suicide.

Race/Ethnicity

Race/Ethnicity

Race/Ethnicity

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Count

Count

Count

Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native

Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native

23.9

Rate per 100,000

23.9

588

Count

588

Non-Hispanic White

Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic White

16.9

Rate per 100,000

16.9

35,442

Count

35,442

Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

12.5

Rate per 100,000

12.5

79

Count

79

Non-Hispanic Multiracial

Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic Multiracial

9.6

Rate per 100,000

9.6

599

Count

599

Non-Hispanic Black

Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic Black

7.8

Rate per 100,000

7.8

3,286

Count

3,286

Hispanic

Race/Ethnicity

Hispanic

7.5

Rate per 100,000

7.5

4,571

Count

4,571

Non-Hispanic Asian

Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic Asian

6.4

Rate per 100,000

6.4

1,302

Count

1,302

Sex

Sex

Sex

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Count

Count

Count

Males

Sex

Males

22

Rate per 100,000

22

36,551

Count

36,551

Females

Sex

Females

5.5

Rate per 100,000

5.5

9,428

Count

9,428

Age range

Age range

Age range

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Count

Count

Count

85+

Age range

85+

20.9

Rate per 100,000

20.9

1,389

Count

1,389

75-84

Age range

75-84

18.4

Rate per 100,000

18.4

3,032

Count

3,032

65-74

Age range

65-74

14.5

Rate per 100,000

14.5

4,716

Count

4,716

55-64

Age range

55-64

16.9

Rate per 100,000

16.9

7,160

Count

7,160

45-54

Age range

45-54

18

Rate per 100,000

18

7,249

Count

7,249

35-44

Age range

35-44

17.4

Rate per 100,000

17.4

7,314

Count

7,314

25-34

Age range

25-34

18.4

Rate per 100,000

18.4

8,454

Count

8,454

15-24

Age range

15-24

14.2

Rate per 100,000

14.2

6,062

Count

6,062

10-14

Age range

10-14

2.8

Rate per 100,000

2.8

581

Count

581

† Source: Ehlman DC, Yard E, Stone DM, Jones CM, Mack KA. Changes in Suicide Rates — United States, 2019 and 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:306–312. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7108a5.

Learn more about disparities in suicide.
Firearms are the most common method used in suicides.

Method

Method

Method

Percent

Percent

Percent

Count

Count

Count

Firearm

Method

Firearm

52.8

Percent

52.8

24,292

Count

24,292

Suffocation

Method

Suffocation

27.2

Percent

27.2

12,495

Count

12,495

Poisoning

Method

Poisoning

12

Percent

12

5,528

Count

5,528

Other

Method

Other

8

Percent

8

3,664

Count

3,664

Source: CDC Vital Statistics

Learn more about firearm violence.
Suicide rates increased 36% between 2000-2018 and declined 5% between 2018-2020.

Year

Year

Year

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Count

Count

Count

2000

Year

2000

10.4

Rate per 100,000

10.4

29,350

Count

29,350

2001

Year

2001

10.7

Rate per 100,000

10.7

30,622

Count

30,622

2002

Year

2002

10.9

Rate per 100,000

10.9

31,655

Count

31,655

2003

Year

2003

10.8

Rate per 100,000

10.8

31,484

Count

31,484

2004

Year

2004

11

Rate per 100,000

11

32,439

Count

32,439

2005

Year

2005

10.9

Rate per 100,000

10.9

32,637

Count

32,637

2006

Year

2006

11

Rate per 100,000

11

33,300

Count

33,300

2007

Year

2007

11.3

Rate per 100,000

11.3

34,598

Count

34,598

2008

Year

2008

11.6

Rate per 100,000

11.6

36,035

Count

36,035

2009

Year

2009

11.8

Rate per 100,000

11.8

36,909

Count

36,909

2010

Year

2010

12.1

Rate per 100,000

12.1

38,364

Count

38,364

2011

Year

2011

12.3

Rate per 100,000

12.3

39,518

Count

39,518

2012

Year

2012

12.6

Rate per 100,000

12.6

40,600

Count

40,600

2013

Year

2013

12.6

Rate per 100,000

12.6

41,149

Count

41,149

2014

Year

2014

13

Rate per 100,000

13

42,826

Count

42,826

2015

Year

2015

13.3

Rate per 100,000

13.3

44,193

Count

44,193

2016

Year

2016

13.5

Rate per 100,000

13.5

44,965

Count

44,965

2017

Year

2017

14

Rate per 100,000

14

47,173

Count

47,173

2018

Year

2018

14.2

Rate per 100,000

14.2

48,344

Count

48,344

2019

Year

2019

13.9

Rate per 100,000

13.9

47,511

Count

47,511

2020

Year

2020

13.5

Rate per 100,000

13.5

45,979

Count

45,979

Source: CDC Vital Statistics

Learn more about suicide rates by state.