Suicide - Statistics & Facts

Suicide is the act of a person intentionally causing their own death. Suicide is a major public health problem in many countries and is often connected to depression, mental disorders or substance abuse. In the United States, suicide was one of the most frequent causes of death in 2015. Since the 1950s, the death rate from suicide has only slightly decreased, in fact, it increased again after a slight dip in the early Noughties. The major cause of death in the United States is heart disease.

A big gender difference exists in regards to suicide in the United States. According to gender-based suicide statistics by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is much more common among men in the United States. In every age group, the male suicide rate is considerably higher than the female rate and overall almost four times as many men as women die as a result of suicide. Leaving gender aside, the data shows that suicide is a problem across all age groups. The highest suicide rate lies with people between 45 and 64 and is reported to be at more than 19 deaths per 100,000 people in that age group in 2015, again, a slight increase from the previous year.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
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Share of women committing suicide in South Korea in 2015

16.8%

Deaths by suicide in the U.S. in 2016 (per 100,000 residents)

13.5
Suicide figures around the world
Share of women committing suicide in South Korea in 2015 16.8% Number of deaths by suicide in the U.S. (per 100,000 population) 13.5 Number of deaths by suicide in the U.K. 5,821 Number of suicide attacks in Syria 108 Number of suicide bombings worldwide as of 2013 276
Suicide in the U.S.
Deaths by suicide in the U.S. in 2016 (per 100,000 residents) 13.5 Deaths by suicide in the U.S. in 2016 among men (per 100,000 residents) 21.4 Number of suicides committed by a youth on school grounds in the U.S. 9 Share of drug-addicted Americans who have had serious thoughts about suicide as of 2017 15.4%
Death
Death rate in the United States 8.4 Infant mortality rate in the United States 5.7% Cremation rate in the United States 47.9%
Life
Share of Americans who believe in life after death 75% Share of middle-class Americans who are very happy with their life 32% Americans who consider honesty, integrity and transparency the most important values in their life 50.61% Americans who feel that their mother inspired them in life 61%

Death in the U.S. - Important statistics

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Death in the U.S.
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The whole topic in one document

Death in the U.S.
  • Edited and prepared
  • Download in PPT/PDF format
  • Instant access
  • From $365
View dossier
Suicide figures around the world
Share of women committing suicide in South Korea in 2015 16.8% Number of deaths by suicide in the U.S. (per 100,000 population) 13.5 Number of deaths by suicide in the U.K. 5,821 Number of suicide attacks in Syria 108 Number of suicide bombings worldwide as of 2013 276
Suicide in the U.S.
Deaths by suicide in the U.S. in 2016 (per 100,000 residents) 13.5 Deaths by suicide in the U.S. in 2016 among men (per 100,000 residents) 21.4 Number of suicides committed by a youth on school grounds in the U.S. 9 Share of drug-addicted Americans who have had serious thoughts about suicide as of 2017 15.4%
Death
Death rate in the United States 8.4 Infant mortality rate in the United States 5.7% Cremation rate in the United States 47.9%
Life
Share of Americans who believe in life after death 75% Share of middle-class Americans who are very happy with their life 32% Americans who consider honesty, integrity and transparency the most important values in their life 50.61% Americans who feel that their mother inspired them in life 61%

Recommended statistics

Death rate for suicide in the U.S. 1950-2016
Death rate for suicide in the U.S. 2015-2016 by age
Death rate from suicide in the U.S. by gender and age 2016
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United States - leading states by share of deaths cremated 2010
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Infographics on the topic

Suicide Infographic - Suicide in Japan reaches 25-year low
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Infographics on the topic

Suicide Infographic - Suicide in Japan reaches 25-year low
Global Suicide RatesSuicide Rates Have Risen Sharply Across The U.S. Which jobs have the most suicides?

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