Suicide Statistics

1. Currently there are slightly more than 30,000 suicides annually (83 suicides per day; or 1 suicide every 17 minutes), with 12 of every 100,000 Americans killing themselves.
2. Suicide rates in the U.S.A. can best be characterized as mostly stable over time with a slight tendency toward an increase.
3. Rates of suicide are highest in the western regions with the Mountain States highest.
4. Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death.
5. Males complete suicide at a rate four times that of females.
6. Firearms are currently the most often utilized method of suicide by essentially all groups (males, females, young, old, white, and non-white).
7. Suicide rates have traditionally decreased in times of war and increased in times of economic crisis.
8. Suicide rates are highest among the divorced, separated, and widowed and lowest among the married.
9. Rates of suicide are highest among the elderly (age 65 and over).
10. Elderly adults have rates of suicide of more than 50% higher than that of the nation as a whole.
11. Youth (ages 15-24) suicide rates increased more than 200% from the 1950s to the late 1970s. Since the late 1970s, suicide rates for youth have remained stable or slightly decreased.
12. Suicide ranks third as a cause of death among young (15-24) Americans, behind accidents and homicide.
13. White suicide rates are approximately twice those of non-whites.
14. Native Americans (American Indians) are the racial/ethnic group with the highest overall suicide rate, but tribal differences exist.
15. Blacks and Hispanics, when ranked among worldwide statistics and reporting, exhibit lower risk of suicides.
16. Psychological autopsy studies reflect that more than 90% of completed suicides had one or more mental disorders.

Reference: American Association of Suicidology, "Some Facts About Suicide in the U.S.A."2001.