Suicide statistics

Reliable statistics on suicide aren’t easy to compile because reporting is not always candid and records are not always thorough. Family members and others may have many reasons for denying that a death is suicide, and official sources cannot always distinguish suicide from accidents in cases like drunk driving and drug overdoses. Still, despite these limitations, we know that suicide is an important public health problem. Here is a look at some of the figures that are available:  

• Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.


• In 2002, the number of known suicide deaths in the United States was 31,655.


• Men account for 80% of suicide victims.


• Whites are twice as likely to commit suicide as blacks and Hispanics.


• The risk of suicide rises with age, and older Americans are disproportionately likely to die by suicide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, individuals ages 65 and older made up 13% of the population, but accounted for 18% of all suicide deaths in 2000.


• Adolescents constitute a growing percentage of suicides. People ages 15–24, who once accounted for 5% of suicides, now account for 14%. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among American adolescents.

From the Harvard Health Publications Special Health Report, Understanding Depression. Copyright 2006 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.