49,000 people died by suicide in 2023.
1 death every 11 minutes.
Many adults think about suicide or attempt suicide.
12.8 million seriously thought about suicide.
3.7 million made a plan for suicide.
1.5 million attempted suicide.
Suicide rates increased 37% between 2000-2018 and decreased 5% between 2018-2020. However, rates returned to their peak in 2022.
The suicide rate among males in 2023 was approximately four times higher than the rate among females. Males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.
People ages 85 and older had the highest rates of suicide in 2023.
June 3, 2025,
Significant Decline: Between 1990 and 2021,
the global age-standardized suicide death rate declined by almost 40%.
Annual Deaths: Around 720,000 to 740,000 deaths occur due to suicide each year, meaning roughly one death every 43 seconds.
Leading Cause of Death: Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.
Low and Middle-Income Countries: 73% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Suicide Attempts: For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide, and a prior suicide attempt is a significant risk factor.
Gender Differences:
Higher Male Rates: Globally, males die from suicide at twice the rate of females, and their attempts result in death three times more often.
More Female Attempts: While men are more likely to die by suicide, women are 49% more likely to attempt suicide.
Regional Variations:
Declining Rates: Global suicide rates are generally declining, but this progress is not universal.
Increasing Rates: Suicides increased in Central Latin America (39%), Andean Latin America (13%), Tropical Latin America (9%), and high-income North America (7%).
Highest Rates: The highest suicide death rates were found in Eastern Europe, Southern sub-Saharan Africa, and Central sub-Saharan Africa.
Latin America: Suicide rates are increasing in Central Latin America, with a particularly significant increase among Mexican females.
Age Trends:
Older Age at Death: Globally, people are dying by suicide later in life than in previous decades.
Average Age: In 2021, the average age of suicide death was around 47 for both males and females.
Risk Factors:
Mental Health: Mental health conditions, particularly depression and alcohol use disorders, are linked to suicide.
Other Factors: Loss, loneliness, discrimination, relationship disputes, financial problems, chronic pain, illness, violence, abuse, and emergencies can also increase suicide risk.
In the United States:
Most Common Methods:
-Firearms were the most common method of suicide in 2023, accounting for 55.36% of all suicide deaths.
-Suffocation (including hanging) was the second most common method at 24.38%.
-Poisoning (including drug overdose) was the third most common method at 9.45%.
Lethality:
Firearms are the most lethal method, with a case fatality rate of 89.7%.
Hanging/Suffocation is also highly lethal, with a case fatality rate of 84.5%.
Drug/liquid poisoning has a much lower case fatality rate of 8.0%.
Trends:
The use of firearms and hanging/suffocation has been increasing in recent decades, particularly among younger and middle-aged adults.
Poisoning has been declining as a suicide method in both sexes.
Worldwide:
Dominant Methods:
Hanging is a common method in many countries.
Pesticide poisoning is prevalent in some Asian and Latin American countries.
Firearm suicide is more common in
countries with higher firearm availability, such as the United States.
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