SUICIDE: 2015 FACTS & FIGURES

Suicide is a preventable public health problem and a leading cause of death in the United States. More investment
in suicide prevention, education and research will prevent the untimely deaths of thousands of Americans each year.

SUICIDE – BASIC FACTS SUICIDE – THE COST

An American dies by suicide

every 12.95 minutes i
For every woman who dies
by suicide, four men die by $44
BILLION
suicide, but women are 3x
more likely to attempt suicidei
Americans attempt suicide
an estimated The combined medical

1 MILLION
Over 40,000 Americans die by suicide every and work loss costs in the
year.i Suicide is the 10th leading cause of
United States each year i
deathi in the United States
times annually iii • 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10-24
• 5th leading cause of death for ages 45-59 More than
90% of those who die by suicide
had a diagnosable psychiatric
disorder at the time of their death ii
• The suicide rate among American Indian/
Alaska Native adolescents and young adults
ages 15-24 is 1.8 times the national average
1.5
In 2012, firearms were the most common
method of death by suicide, accounting Veterans comprise
MILLION
years of life are lost
for 50.9% of all suicide deaths, followed
by suffocation (including hangings) at 22.2% of suicidesiv annually to suicidei
24.8% and poisoning at 16.7%

i
Data obtained from CDC’s Web Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS)
ii
National Center for Health Statistics for the year 2006
iii
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide – Facts at a Glance
iv
Department of Veterans Affairs 2012 Suicide Data Report

120 Wall Street, 29th Floor • New York, NY 10005 • (212) 363-3500
afsp.org
 SUICIDE: 2015 FACTS & FIGURES

SUICIDE DEATH RATES

States with the highest
suicide rate above
the national rate of
WA NH
12.94 per 100,000 15.05 15.28
VT ME
State with a suicide 13.90 15.73
MT ND
rate above the 23.17 14.97
national rate of
12.94 per 100,000 OR MN
18.57 MA
12.19 WI 9.09
State with a suicide ID SD NY
18.61 12.63
rate below the 16.91 8.72
RI
national rate of WY MI 10.00
29.66 12.76 CT
12.94 per 100,000 10.25
IA PA
NE 12.46 12.9 NJ
NV
19.02 12.5 OH 7.70 DE
IN 13.35
UT IL 10.01 13.63
19.27 10.04 MD
CO WV 9.91
20.27 17.56 VA
KS 12.98 DC
CA 17.40 MO KY
16.53 5.84
10.24 15.17
NC
TN 13.19
OK 15.15
AZ
17.65 NM 17.56 AR SC
21.21 16.44 14.25

MS AL GA
13.73 15.03 11.78

TX
AK 11.65 LA
23.0 12.32

FL
15.54
HI
13.67

Released Fall 2014

120 Wall Street, 29th Floor • New York, NY 10005 • (212) 363-3500
afsp.org