Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and the numbers have moved in a troubling direction over the past two decades. In 2024, an estimated 48,824 people died by suicide — roughly one death every eleven minutes (CDC, 2024). Behind that single figure sits a much larger population of Americans who consider, plan, or attempt suicide each year.
This article is the national overview: the latest death count and rate, the long-term trend that peaked in 2018 and set a record count in 2022, how deaths compare with attempts, which methods are most common, and how the burden differs by sex, age, race, and state. Each dimension is summarized here and explored in depth in a dedicated companion article.
For the underlying condition data, see our suicide deaths pillar and the broader national mental health overview. Every figure below is drawn from federal sources — primarily the CDC, its WISQARS injury database, NIMH, and SAMHSA.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
The Latest National Numbers
The most recent provisional data puts U.S. suicide deaths at 48,824 in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people (CDC, 2024). That is slightly below the two prior years: 49,316 deaths in 2023 (a rate of 14.0) and 49,476 deaths in 2022 — the highest annual count ever recorded (NIMH, 2025).
A few facts help frame the scale of the problem (NIMH, 2025):
- Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death overall in 2023.
- It was the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10–14, 15–24, and 25–34.
- It ranked 4th among ages 35–44, 5th among 45–54, and 8th among 55–64.
- In 2023 there were more than twice as many suicides (49,316) as homicides (22,830).
In other words, suicide is not a rare event concentrated in one group. It is a leading killer of young people and a persistent cause of death across nearly every stage of adult life.
The 20-Year Trend: Rise, Pandemic Dip, and Record Count
Viewed over two decades, the age-adjusted suicide rate rose steadily, briefly reversed during the pandemic, and then climbed back to near-record levels. NIMH reports the rate increased 35.2% from 2000 (10.4 per 100,000) to its 2018 peak of 14.2 (NIMH, 2025).
| Year | Age-adjusted rate (per 100,000) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10.7 | Near the start of the long rise |
| 2018 | 14.2 | Peak rate of the period |
| 2019 | 13.9 | Slight decline begins |
| 2020 | 13.4 | Pandemic-year low |
| 2021 | 14.0 | Rebound |
| 2022 | 14.2 | Highest count on record (49,476 deaths) |
| 2023 | 14.0 | |
| 2024 | 13.7 | Most recent (provisional) |
Source: CDC/WISQARS (CDC, 2024).
The pattern is important. The 2020 dip did not signal a lasting improvement — the rate rebounded within a year, and 2022 produced the largest raw number of suicide deaths ever recorded, even though the age-adjusted rate matched the 2018 peak rather than exceeding it. The modest declines in 2023 and 2024 are encouraging but remain far above where the country stood at the start of the century.
Attempts vs. Deaths: The Larger Picture
Deaths are only the most visible layer of suicide. Federal survey data show that for every person who dies, many more think about, plan, or attempt suicide. Drawing on SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the CDC reports that in the year measured (CDC, 2024; SAMHSA, 2024):
- 14.3 million adults had serious thoughts of suicide
- 4.6 million adults made a suicide plan
- 2.2 million adults attempted suicide
- 48,824 people died by suicide
That works out to roughly 45 attempts for every death. This gap is why prevention efforts focus so heavily on the earlier stages — ideation and planning — where intervention is still possible. Explore these upstream measures in our suicide attempts and suicidality and self-harm condition pages.
Methods: Firearms Are the Leading Means
Firearms account for the largest share of U.S. suicide deaths by a wide margin. In 2023, firearms were involved in 27,300 suicides — over half (roughly 55%) of the total and the single most common method (NIMH, 2025).
| Method | Deaths (2023) | Approx. share |
|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 27,300 | ~55% |
| Suffocation | 12,023 | ~24% |
| Poisoning | 5,944 | ~12% |
| Other | 4,049 | ~8% |
Source: NIMH/CDC (NIMH, 2025).
The dominance of firearms matters for prevention because method lethality strongly shapes outcomes: firearm suicide attempts are far more likely to be fatal than most other methods, which is why means-safety measures — such as secure storage and time-and-distance between a person in crisis and a lethal method — are a central part of suicide prevention strategy. The concentration of deaths in a single, highly lethal method is one reason the raw death toll has stayed high even as attempts vastly outnumber deaths.
Suicide by Sex
Suicide is heavily concentrated among men. In 2024, the male age-adjusted rate was 22.2 per 100,000 compared with 5.6 for women — men were about four times more likely to die by suicide, and males accounted for roughly 80% of all suicide deaths (CDC, 2024). Women, however, report suicidal thoughts and attempts at higher rates, so the death gap reflects differences in method and lethality more than differences in distress.
For the full breakdown, see our dedicated male suicide statistics article, along with the men and women population pages.
Suicide by Age
Suicide risk is often assumed to peak in youth, but the highest crude rates are among older adults. In 2024, the rate was highest among men and women ages 80–84 (21.7 per 100,000) and 85 and older (21.4), and lowest among children ages 10–14 (2.3) (CDC, 2024). The picture differs sharply by sex: the female rate peaks in midlife (ages 45–64, at 8.6), while the male rate climbs to its highest point at 75 and older (40.7).
At the same time, suicide’s ranking as a cause of death is highest among the young — it is the second-leading cause of death for everyone from ages 10 through 34 — because young people have so few competing causes of death. Both facts are true at once, and both matter.
Read the full age breakdown in our suicide statistics by age article, or explore the older adults, young adults, and teens population pages.
Suicide by Race and Ethnicity
Suicide rates vary substantially across racial and ethnic groups. The 2024 age-adjusted rates were highest for American Indian and Alaska Native people and lowest for Asian Americans (CDC, 2024):
| Group | Age-adjusted rate (2024, per 100,000) |
|---|---|
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 22.5 |
| White | 17.2 |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 13.7 |
| Multiracial | 10.1 |
| Black | 8.7 |
| Hispanic | 8.0 |
| Asian | 6.4 |
Source: CDC (CDC, 2024).
The disparity is stark: the highest-rate group’s rate is more than three times that of the lowest. These gaps reflect differences in access to care, historical and structural factors, and firearm access, among others. Dive deeper with the American Indian / Alaska Native and white population pages.
Suicide by State
Suicide rates differ dramatically by geography, forming a well-documented cluster of high rates across the Mountain West and Great Plains — sometimes called the “suicide belt” — and lower rates in the dense Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and California. Contributing factors include rurality, higher firearm ownership, altitude, and limited access to care.
| Highest states (2024) | Age-adjusted rate | Lowest states (2024) | Age-adjusted rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 29.78 | District of Columbia | 5.67 |
| Wyoming | 27.81 | New Jersey | 6.65 |
| Montana | 26.83 | New York | 8.12 |
| New Mexico | 24.40 | Massachusetts | 8.26 |
| South Dakota | 21.99 | Rhode Island | 8.88 |
Source: CDC/WISQARS (CDC, 2024).
The geographic divide is enormous — Alaska’s rate is more than five times that of the District of Columbia. Rural-urban differences run through this pattern: as of 2018, the rural male suicide rate (30.7) was well above the urban male rate (21.5) (Pettrone & Curtin, 2020).
See the complete rankings in our suicide rates by state article, browse all state pages, or jump to individual profiles like Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana.
A Note on Veterans
Veterans carry a disproportionate share of the national burden. In 2023, 6,398 veterans died by suicide — an average of about 17.5 per day — and firearms were involved in 73.3% of those deaths, a substantially higher share than among non-veteran adults (VA, 2025). After age adjustment, the veteran suicide rate runs well above that of non-veteran adults for both men and women, and a majority of veterans who died were not receiving VA health care in their final year — a gap that shapes where prevention resources are directed. Our veteran suicide statistics article and the veterans population page cover this population in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people die by suicide in the US each year?
An estimated 48,824 people died by suicide in the United States in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 13.7 per 100,000 (CDC, 2024). The two prior years were slightly higher: 49,316 deaths in 2023 and 49,476 in 2022, the highest annual count on record.
Is the US suicide rate rising or falling?
Over the long term it has risen — up 35.2% from 2000 to the 2018 peak of 14.2 per 100,000 (NIMH, 2025). The rate dipped to 13.4 during the pandemic in 2020, rebounded, and has eased slightly to 13.7 in 2024, but remains far above early-2000s levels.
What is the most common method of suicide in the US?
Firearms are the leading method, involved in 27,300 suicides in 2023 — over half of all suicide deaths (NIMH, 2025). Suffocation was second (12,023 deaths), followed by poisoning (5,944).
How many suicide attempts happen for each death?
Roughly 45 attempts occur for every suicide death. In the year measured, about 2.2 million adults attempted suicide, 4.6 million made a plan, and 14.3 million had serious thoughts of suicide, compared with 48,824 deaths (CDC, 2024; SAMHSA, 2024).
Which groups have the highest suicide rates?
Men die by suicide about four times as often as women (22.2 vs. 5.6 per 100,000 in 2024) and make up about 80% of deaths (CDC, 2024). By race, American Indian and Alaska Native people have the highest rate (22.5), and by state, Alaska (29.78) and Wyoming (27.81) lead the nation.
Which states have the highest and lowest suicide rates?
In 2024, the highest age-adjusted rates were in Alaska (29.78), Wyoming (27.81), and Montana (26.83), while the lowest were in the District of Columbia (5.67), New Jersey (6.65), and New York (8.12) (CDC, 2024).
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health. Suicide. NIMH; updated 2025. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Suicide Data and Statistics. CDC; 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/data/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). CDC/NCIPC; 2026. https://wisqars.cdc.gov/
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). SAMHSA; 2025. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2024-nsduh-annual-national-report
- Pettrone K, Curtin SC. Urban-Rural Differences in Suicide Rates, by Sex and Three Leading Methods: United States, 2000-2018. NCHS Data Brief No. 373. National Center for Health Statistics; 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db373.htm
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, Part 1. VA; 2026. https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2025/2025_national_veteran_suicide_prevention_annual_report_part_1_final.pdf