PHARMACIST STEVE

Suicide and Attempted Suicide Trends in the Last 10 Years

Suicide Deaths:

• Over the past decade, suicide deaths in the United States have increased overall. After a period of modest decline from 2018 to 2020, suicide rates began to rise again, reaching record highs in 2022 and 20241356.

• The age-adjusted suicide rate rose from 12.3 per 100,000 in 2011 to 14.4 in 2022, representing a 16% increase over that period1. By 2024, the rate further increased to an estimated 14.7 per 100,000, with over 49,300 deaths, marking the highest levels since 19413.

• The total number of suicide deaths in 2022 was 49,369, the highest on record at that time1. This upward trend continued into 2023 and 20243.

• Suicide rates increased 37% between 2000 and 2018, dipped by 5% from 2018 to 2020, and then returned to peak levels by 2022256.

Demographic Patterns:

• Males account for about 80% of suicide deaths, with the highest rates among those aged 85 and older236.

• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native people have the highest suicide rates among racial/ethnic groups3.

• Firearms are the most common method, involved in over half of all suicides, and firearm-related suicides have driven much of the recent increase13.

Youth and Young Adults:

• Suicide deaths among 10- to 24-year-olds increased by 62% from 2007 to 20218.

• The share of high school students who seriously considered suicide rose from 16% in 2011 to 22% in 2021. Suicide attempts in this group also increased from 8% to 10% over the same period7.

• Black youth and preteens have seen particularly sharp increases, with suicide rates among Black youth ages 10-17 rising by 144% between 2007 and 20208.

Attempted Suicides:

• Attempted suicides are far more common than completed suicides. It is estimated that there are about 25 suicide attempts for every suicide death4.

• In 2015, there were over 1.1 million suicide attempts in the U.S., roughly one attempt every 31 seconds4.

• Among high school students in 2021, 10% reported attempting suicide at least once in the past year, up from 8% in 20117.

Summary Table: Suicide Trends (2011–2024)

Conclusion

Both suicide deaths and suicide attempts have increased over the last 10 years in the United States. After a brief decline around 2019–2020, rates have climbed to record highs, especially among youth and certain minority groups. The data highlight a persistent and growing mental health crisis, with firearms playing a significant role in the increase in suicide deaths1378.