The global suicide rate has actually fallen significantly over the past three decades, dropping from 14.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 1990 to 9.0 per 100,000 in 2021. But that global trend masks what’s happening in the United States, where the picture is more complicated and, for many groups, considerably worse.
The U.S. Trend Since 2000
Suicide rates in the United States rose 37% between 2000 and 2018, climbing from 10.4 per 100,000 people (29,350 deaths) to 14.2 per 100,000 (48,344 deaths). There was a brief dip during 2019 and 2020, with rates falling about 5%. That decline was short-lived. By 2022, the rate had returned to its previous peak at 14.2 per 100,000, with 49,476 deaths, the highest annual count on record. The 2023 numbers were nearly identical: 14.1 per 100,000 and 49,316 deaths.
So the honest answer is: in the U.S., suicide rose sharply for nearly two decades, briefly plateaued, and has settled at a historically high level. Globally, the long-term trend is downward, but the U.S. is a clear outlier among wealthy nations.
Young People Have Been Hit Hard
The sharpest increases in the U.S. have been among young people. The suicide rate for Americans aged 10 to 24 increased 62% between 2007 and 2021, rising from 6.8 to 11.0 deaths per 100,000. Among the youngest group, children aged 10 to 14, the rate tripled between 2007 and 2018, going from 0.9 to 2.9 per 100,000. For those aged 15 to 19, rates jumped 57% between 2009 and 2017. And among young adults aged 20 to 24, the rate climbed 63% from 2001 to 2021, reaching 19.4 per 100,000.
There is some recent improvement for younger age groups. Between 2018 and 2023, suicide rates among people aged 10 to 24 declined by about 10% overall, with notable drops among white youth (down 12%) and American Indian or Alaska Native youth (down 30%). Whether this marks the beginning of a lasting reversal or a temporary pause remains to be seen.
Older Men Face the Highest Rates
While youth suicide draws the most public attention, the highest suicide rates in the country belong to older men. In 2021, men aged 85 and older died by suicide at a rate of 55.7 per 100,000, more than four times the national average. The pattern is strikingly consistent: among men over 55, rates climb with each decade of life, from 26.6 per 100,000 for those aged 55 to 64, to 38.2 for ages 75 to 84, to that peak of 55.7 for those 85 and older.
Women show the opposite pattern. Suicide rates among women over 55 decrease with age, from 7.8 per 100,000 at ages 55 to 64 down to 3.3 for those 85 and older. The gender gap widens dramatically in older age groups. Among people 75 to 84, men die by suicide at nearly eight times the rate of women. Among those 85 and older, the male rate is 17 times higher. Factors common in older adults, including physical decline, cognitive changes, bereavement, loneliness, and social isolation, all contribute to this elevated risk.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Are Shifting
The overall U.S. suicide rate held roughly steady between 2018 and 2023, but that flat line conceals diverging trends across racial and ethnic groups. Suicide rates among Black Americans rose 25.2% during that five-year period, with significant increases across all adult age brackets. Hispanic Americans saw a 10% increase overall, driven largely by a 25% rise among those aged 25 to 44. Meanwhile, suicide rates among white Americans declined slightly, by about 3%.
American Indian and Alaska Native communities continue to have the highest overall rate at 23.8 per 100,000, nearly 70% above the national average. However, their rates dropped 15% between 2021 and 2023, including a 30% decline among young people aged 10 to 24. The lowest rates are among Asian Americans, at 6.5 per 100,000. The overall picture is one of narrowing gaps, but driven by worsening outcomes for Black and Hispanic populations rather than universal improvement.
Rural Areas and the Firearm Factor
Where you live significantly affects your risk. Rural suicide rates have been consistently higher than urban rates since at least 2000, and the gap has widened. Between 2000 and 2018, rural rates climbed 48% (from 13.1 to 19.4 per 100,000) compared to a 34% increase in urban areas (from 10.0 to 13.4). Rural women were especially affected: their suicide rate nearly doubled over that period.
Firearms are central to this disparity. About half of all suicides in the U.S. involve a firearm, and that proportion has been increasing. In rural areas, the firearm suicide rate for men was 63% higher than in urban areas by 2018, and 82% higher for women. Among men over 55, firearm-related suicide rates climb steadily with age, reaching 45.9 per 100,000 for those 85 and older.
The rural-urban gap likely reflects several overlapping realities: higher gun ownership, greater physical distance from emergency and mental health services, and economic pressures in industries concentrated in rural communities.
Mental Health Access Plays a Role
Counties designated as mental health professional shortage areas have suicide rates about 6% higher than other areas, and that association has grown stronger over time. More than 70% of people who die by suicide did not receive mental health treatment in the two months before their death. States with fewer psychiatrists, less federal mental health funding, and higher rates of uninsured residents tend to have higher suicide rates.
The provider shortage is getting worse, not better. The ratio of psychologists to residents declined from one per 3,652 people in 2008 to one per 3,802 by 2013, and the psychiatrist ratio dropped from one per 7,825 to one per 8,476 over the same period. Research has found that increases in behavioral health providers are associated with slight decreases in firearm-related suicides, suggesting that expanding access could move the needle, even modestly.
Some Jobs Carry Higher Risk
Certain industries and occupations have suicide rates far above the national average. Among broad industry categories, the highest male suicide rates in 2021 were in mining (72.0 per 100,000), construction (56.0), and other services like automotive repair (50.6). For women, the highest rates were in arts, entertainment, and recreation (15.0) and construction (10.4).
When broken down into specific occupations, the numbers are striking. Male logging workers had a suicide rate of 161.1 per 100,000, and male fishing and hunting workers reached 130.6. Among women, construction laborers (38.6), chefs and head cooks (32.9), and bartenders (23.8) had some of the highest rates. These occupations tend to share characteristics: physical demands, seasonal or unstable income, social isolation, and in some cases easy access to lethal means. Many are concentrated in rural areas, compounding the geographic risks already described.