In the United States, roughly 10,000 women die by suicide each year. The 2023 age-adjusted rate was 5.9 per 100,000 women, which translates to about one in every 17,000 women. While men account for nearly 80% of all suicide deaths in the U.S., the rate among women has risen significantly over the past two decades, making this a growing public health concern.
U.S. Numbers at a Glance
The male suicide rate in 2023 was approximately four times the female rate (22.7 vs. 5.9 per 100,000). Men make up half the population but nearly 80% of suicide deaths, meaning women account for roughly 20%. With just over 49,000 total suicide deaths in the U.S. in recent years, that puts the annual number of women lost to suicide in the range of 10,000.
Globally, the World Health Organization tracks suicide mortality rates by country and sex. While absolute totals vary by year and reporting quality, the worldwide female suicide rate has hovered around 5 to 6 per 100,000 in recent data. Applied to a global female population of roughly 4 billion, that suggests somewhere around 200,000 to 250,000 women die by suicide worldwide each year.
Age Groups Most Affected
Suicide risk in women is not evenly distributed across the lifespan. The 2023 NIMH data breaks it down clearly:
- Ages 45 to 64: The highest rate at 8.6 per 100,000, nearly 50% higher than the next closest group.
- Ages 25 to 44: 7.7 per 100,000.
- Ages 65 to 74: 6.2 per 100,000.
- Ages 15 to 24: 5.5 per 100,000.
- Ages 75 and older: 5.1 per 100,000.
- Ages 10 to 14: 2.1 per 100,000, the lowest but still a troubling number for children.
The peak among middle-aged women is consistent with broader patterns in mental health research. This age group often faces a convergence of stressors: caregiving responsibilities for both children and aging parents, relationship difficulties, chronic health conditions, and hormonal changes related to perimenopause and menopause.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Not all women face the same level of risk. Between 1999 and 2017, suicide rates rose for women in nearly every racial and ethnic group, but the increases were not equal. American Indian and Alaska Native women saw the sharpest climb, with their rate jumping 139% over that period, from 4.6 to 11.0 per 100,000. Among women aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 44, American Indian and Alaska Native women had the highest rates of any group, reaching 20.5 and 20.7 per 100,000 respectively. Those numbers are roughly three to four times the national average for women.
For women aged 45 to 64, white women had the highest rate at 12.8 per 100,000. Rates among Asian and Pacific Islander women remained relatively stable over the same period, though experts note that deaths in some racial and ethnic groups may be undercounted due to inconsistencies in how death certificates record race.
Why Women Attempt More but Die Less Often
One of the most consistent findings in suicide research is what’s sometimes called the gender paradox: women attempt suicide at higher rates than men, but men die by suicide far more often. The gap is largely explained by method. Men tend to use more immediately lethal means, particularly firearms, while women more often use methods like poisoning or overdose that allow a greater window for medical intervention. This does not mean women’s attempts are less serious. It means that method choice has an outsized effect on whether someone survives.
This distinction matters practically. It means that access to lethal means, crisis intervention, and emergency medical response all play roles in whether a suicide attempt becomes a death. Reducing access to the most lethal methods during a crisis period is one of the most effective prevention strategies for any demographic.
Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
Suicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and recently postpartum women. A review of CDC data spanning 2005 to 2022 found that out of 20,421 deaths among pregnant people and those within 42 days of delivery, 11% were caused by homicide or suicide combined. Of those, 39% (886 deaths over the 18-year period) were suicides. That works out to roughly 50 maternal suicides per year in the U.S., though this figure only captures deaths during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum window. Many maternal suicides occur later in the first year after birth and would not be counted in these numbers.
The risk factors identified in this population are strikingly social. Women experiencing food insecurity are almost four times more likely to report suicidal behavior during pregnancy. Those experiencing intimate partner violence are twice as likely. Lack of a partner and limited social support both increase risk as well. These patterns suggest that for many women, suicide risk is driven less by a psychiatric diagnosis alone and more by the accumulation of poverty, isolation, and violence.
Trends Over Time
Female suicide rates in the U.S. climbed steadily from the late 1990s through the late 2010s. The increases were broad, affecting nearly every age group and most racial and ethnic categories. While the overall rate for women (5.9 per 100,000 in 2023) remains well below the male rate, the upward trend over the past two decades represents thousands of additional deaths that were not occurring a generation ago.
Several factors likely contribute to this shift. Access to mental health care remains uneven across the country, particularly in rural areas. Economic stressors, social isolation, and the opioid crisis have all been linked to rising suicide rates in the general population. For women specifically, intimate partner violence, caregiving burden, and untreated perinatal mood disorders represent additional risk pathways that are often underrecognized in clinical settings.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.