-
Suicide is the
12th
leading cause of death in the US
-
In 2020,
45,979
Americans died by suicide
-
In 2020, there were an estimated
1.20M
suicide attempts
- Become an advocate to help prevent suicideLearn more
Additional facts about suicide in the US
- The age-adjusted suicide rate in 2020 was 13.48 per 100,000 individuals.
- The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men.
- In 2020, men died by suicide 3.88x more than women.
- On average, there are 130 suicides per day.
- White males accounted for 69.68% of suicide deaths in 2020.
- In 2020, firearms accounted for 52.83% of all suicide deaths.
- 93% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented.
Public policy priorities
Learn more about our top Federal and State policy priorities for suicide prevention.
Suicide attempts
When it comes to suicide and suicide attempts there are rate differences depending on demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity and race. Nonetheless, suicide occurs in all demographic groups.
In the U.S., no complete count of suicide attempt data are available. The CDC gathers data from hospitals on non-fatal injuries from self-harm as well as survey data.
In 2015, (the most recent year for which data are available), approximately 575,000 people visited a hospital for injuries due to self-harm.
Based on the 2018 National Survey of Drug Use and Mental Health it is estimated that 0.5 percent of the adults aged 18 or older made at least one suicide attempt. This translates to approximately 1.4 million adults. Adult females reported a suicide attempt 1.5 times as often as males. Further breakdown by gender and race are not available.
Based on the most recent Youth Risk Behaviors Survey from 2019, 8.9 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted almost twice as often as male students (11% vs. 6.6%). American Indian or Alaska Native students reported the highest rate of attempt (25.5%) with white students at 7.9 percent. Approximately 2.5 percent of all students reported making a suicide attempt that required treatment by a doctor or nurse. For those requiring treatment, rates were highest for multiple race students (4.1%).
Speak out about suicide
Telling your story can save lives, let people know they are not alone, and encourage people at risk to seek help, but only if you share it safely.
About AFSP
Learn about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
Become an advocate for suicide prevention
By signing up as an AFSP Field Advocate, you will become a vital part of a large grassroots movement of people across the U.S. who are speaking out for suicide prevention and mental health policies at all levels of government.
Boards, committees and councils
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s National Board, Councils and Committees are dedicated to the fight to stop suicide.
Action Center
Visit our Action Center to stay up to date on the federal and state bills that need your support.
FAQs
Suicide of a Superpower – Macmillan
Suicide of a Superpower Book details Will America Survive to 2025? Author: Patrick J. Buchanan About This Book America is disintegrating. The “one Nation under God, indivisible” of the Pledge of Allegiance is passing away. In a few decades, that America will be gone forever. In its place will arise a country… Book Details America is disintegrating. The “one Nation under God, indivisible” of the Pledge of Allegiance is passing away. In a few decades, that America will be gone forever. In its place will arise a country unrecognizable to our parents. This is the thrust of Pat Buchanan’s Suicide of a Superpower, his most controversial and thought-provoking book to date.Buchanan traces the disintegration to three historic changes: America’s loss of her cradle faith, Christianity; the moral, social, and cultural collapse that have followed from that loss; and the slow death of the people who created and ruled the nation. And as our nation disintegrates, our government is failing in its fundamental duties, unable to defend our borders, balance our budgets, or win our wars.How Americans are killing the country they profess to love, and the fate that awaits us if we do not turn around, is what Suicide of a Superpower is all about. Imprint Publisher St. Martin’s Griffin In The News “Buchanan is an honest writer who … minces nothing except an occasional opponent.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer“Nobody turns a sharp phrase, drops an historical reference, or makes a literary allusion as naturally as Pat Buchanan.” —Human Events“Buchanan is a muscular writer, fully in command of the English language he feels is under siege. He is adept at linking history, statistics, and the writings of philosophers and economists to proffer forceful arguments.” —The Washington Post“Mr. Buchanan … is positively fearless. He is also right.” —Tony Blankley, The Washington Times“His approach is that of a true conservative, offering a perspective rooted in American tradition initiated by Washington.” —Kirkus Reviews“Suicide of a Superpower traces the changes in governance and culture in America that foreshadow a decline of epic proportions. … Buchanan is no stranger to controversy. Nor is he prone to exaggerate. The crises he describes are real, and he is not afraid to say they ‘may prove too much for our democracy to cope with.’” —Jack Kenny, The New American Magazine“A stunning Jeremiad on America’s decline, written with characteristic muscle and wit.” —Timothy Stanley, The Telegraph (UK)“Buchanan offers an astute diagnosis of America’s problems and gives constructive suggestions to put us back on track.” —Virgil Goode (Former Congressman R-VA), The Daily Caller on Suicide of a Superpower“Well-written, well researched and highly persuasive.” —Tom Piatak, Chronicles Magazine About the Creators
Suicide of a Superpower: Will America … – Publishers Weekly
Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? by Patrick J. BuchananPatrick Buchanan. St. Martin%E2%80%99s/Dunne, $27.99 (470p) ISBN 978-0-312-57997-5In this riveting take on America%E2%80%99s downfall, Buchanan%E2%80%99s (The Death of the West) candid narrative explains how liberal social trends promoting equality will ultimately destroy the country through unfair social mandates. Formed by shared Christian morals and values, America%E2%80%99s greatness is the ability to bind people together in common purpose, he says, but a rising hedonistic popular culture that assails Christianity is fracturing these essential social bonds. %E2%80%9CIf we no longer agree on what is right and wrong, we can never be one people again,%E2%80%9D he argues. Buchanan lashes out at leftist ideologues who have distorted the historical precedence of %E2%80%9Cequality%E2%80%9D in America while seeking to establish an egalitarian society, which violates the precepts of natural law and personal liberty. He claims that egalitarianism is not rooted in our history, and recent events show a triumphant rise in tribalism and ethnonationalism throughout the world, a trend America must assimilate by preserving its traditions and Christian heritage. Progressives may recoil at these assertions as well as his positions on immigration, affirmative action and morality, though they may share his sentiments regarding war and America%E2%80%99s unnecessary military presence around the world. Not to disappoint his loyal followers, Buchanan reveals the essence of conservative thought and its origins with clarity and precision. (Oct.) Agency: Fredrica S. Friedman & Co., Inc. closeDetailsReviewed on: 11/07/2011Genre: Nonfiction
Suicide statistics | AFSP
Suicide statisticsSuicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the USIn 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicideIn 2020, there were an estimated 1.20M suicide attemptsBecome an advocate to help prevent suicideLearn moreAdditional facts about suicide in the USThe age-adjusted suicide rate in 2020 was 13.48 per 100,000 individuals.The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men.In 2020, men died by suicide 3.88x more than women.On average, there are 130 suicides per day.White males accounted for 69.68% of suicide deaths in 2020.In 2020, firearms accounted for 52.83% of all suicide deaths.93% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented.Public policy prioritiesLearn more about our top Federal and State policy priorities for suicide prevention. Learn moreSuicide attemptsWhen it comes to suicide and suicide attempts there are rate differences depending on demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity and race. Nonetheless, suicide occurs in all demographic groups.In the U.S., no complete count of suicide attempt data are available. The CDC gathers data from hospitals on non-fatal injuries from self-harm as well as survey data.In 2015, (the most recent year for which data are available), approximately 575,000 people visited a hospital for injuries due to self-harm.Based on the 2018 National Survey of Drug Use and Mental Health it is estimated that 0.5 percent of the adults aged 18 or older made at least one suicide attempt. This translates to approximately 1.4 million adults. Adult females reported a suicide attempt 1.5 times as often as males. Further breakdown by gender and race are not available.Based on the most recent Youth Risk Behaviors Survey from 2019, 8.9 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted almost twice as often as male students (11% vs. 6.6%). American Indian or Alaska Native students reported the highest rate of attempt (25.5%) with white students at 7.9 percent. Approximately 2.5 percent of all students reported making a suicide attempt that required treatment by a doctor or nurse. For those requiring treatment, rates were highest for multiple race students (4.1%).Speak out about suicideTelling your story can save lives, let people know they are not alone, and encourage people at risk to seek help, but only if you share it safely.Learn moreAbout AFSPLearn about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. Learn moreBecome an advocate for suicide preventionBy signing up as an AFSP Field Advocate, you will become a vital part of a large grassroots movement of people across the U.S. who are speaking out for suicide prevention and mental health policies at all levels of government.Learn moreBoards, committees and councilsThe American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s National Board, Councils and Committees are dedicated to the fight to stop suicide. Learn moreAction CenterVisit our Action Center to stay up to date on the federal and state bills that need your support.Take action
Suicide – NIMH – National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Suicide Definitions Suicide is defined as death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with intent to die as a result of the behavior. A suicide attempt is a non-fatal, self-directed, potentially injurious behavior with intent to die as a result of the behavior. A suicide attempt might not result in injury. Suicidal ideation refers to thinking about, considering, or planning suicide. Additional information about suicide can be found on the NIMH health topics page on Suicide Prevention. Suicide is a Leading Cause of Death in the United States According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2020: Suicide was the twelfth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 45,900 people. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34 , the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15-24, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44. There were nearly two times as many suicides (45,979) in the United States as there were homicides (24,576). Table 1 shows the twelve leading causes of death in the United States, and the number of deaths attributed to each cause. Data are shown for all ages and select age groups where suicide was one of the leading twelve causes of death in 2020. The data are based on death certificate information compiled by the CDC. Table 1 Download PNG image Download PDF document Leading Cause of Death in the United States for Select Age Groups (2020)Data Courtesy of CDC Rank 5-9 10-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 All Ages 1 Unintentional Injury 685 Unintentional Injury 881 Unintentional Injury 15,117 Unintentional Injury 31,315 Unintentional Injury 31,057 Malignant Neoplasms 34,589 Malignant Neoplasms 110,243 Heart Disease 696,962 2 Malignant Neoplasms 382 Suicide 581 Homicide 6,466 Suicide 8,454 Heart Disease 12,177 Heart Disease 34,169 Heart Disease 88,551 Malignant Neoplasms 602,350 3 Congenital Anomalies 171 Malignant Neoplasms 410 Suicide 6,062 Homicide 7,125 Malignant Neoplasms 10,730 Unintentional Injury 27,819 COVID-19 42,090 COVID-19 350,831 4 Homicide 169 Homicide 285 Malignant Neoplasms 1,306 Heart Disease 3,984 Suicide 7,314 COVID-19 16,964 Unintentional Injury 28,915 Unintentional Injury 200,955 5 Heart Disease 56 Congenital Anomalies 150 Heart Disease 870 Malignant Neoplasms 3,573 COVID-19 6,079 Liver Disease 9,503 CLRD 18,816 Cerebro- vascular 160,264 6 Influenza & Pneumonia 55 Heart Disease 111 COVID-19 501 COVID-19 2,254 Liver Disease 4,938 Diabetes Mellitus 7,546 Diabetes Mellitus 18,002 CLRD 152,657 7 CLRD 54 CLRD 93 Congenital Anomalies 384 Liver Disease 1,631 Homicide 4,482 Suicide 7,249 Liver Disease 16,151 Alzheimer’s Disease 134,242 8 Cerebro-vascular 32 Diabetes Mellitus 50 Diabetes Mellitus 312 Diabetes Mellitus 1,168 Diabetes Mellitus 2,904 Cerebro- vascular 5,686 Cerebro- vascular 14,153 Diabetes Mellitus 102,188 9 Benign Neoplasms 28 Influenza & Pneumonia 50 CLRD 220 Cerebro- vascular 600 Cerebro- vascular 2,008 CLRD 3,538 Suicide 7,160 Influenza & Pneumonia 53,544 10 Suicide 20* Cerebro-vascular 44 Complicated Pregnancy 191 Complicated Pregnancy 594 Influenza & Pneumonia 1,148 Homicide 2,542 Influenza & Pneumonia 6,295 Nephritis 52,547 11 Septicemia 18* COVID-19 32 Cerebrovascular 188 Influenza & Pneumonia 578 Septicemia 979 Influenza & Pneumonia 2,511 Septicemia 6,242 Liver Disease 51,642 12 COVID-19 17* Benign Neoplasms 27 Influenza & Pneumonia 185 HIV 468 Nephritis 859 Septicemia 2,510 Nephritis 6,213 Suicide 45,979 CLRD: Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease *Unstable values Note: In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death (47,511 suicide deaths). In 2020, liver disease and COVID-19 surpassed suicide as leading causes of death, but suicide deaths decreased compared to 2019 totals (45,979 suicide deaths). Suicide is not among the twelve leading causes of death among children in the 0-4 year age…
Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?
Suicide of a SuperpowerAmerica is disintegrating. The “one Nation under God, indivisible” of the Pledge of Allegiance is passing away. In a few decades, that America will be gone forever. In its place will arise a country unrecognizable to our parents. This is the thrust of Pat Buchanan’s Suicide of a Superpower, his most controversial and thought-provoking book to date.Buchanan traces the disintegration to three historic changes: America’s loss of her cradle faith, Christianity; the moral, social, and cultural collapse that have followed from that loss; and the slow death of the people who created and ruled the nation. And as our nation disintegrates, our government is failing in its fundamental duties, unable to defend our borders, balance our budgets, or win our wars.How Americans are killing the country they profess to love, and the fate that awaits us if we do not turn around, is what Suicide of a Superpower is all about.
Suicide in the United States – Wikipedia
Suicide in the United States Total Suicides in the United States, 1981–2016[1] Crude suicide rate in the United States, 1981–2016[1] Age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States, 1981–2016[1] Age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States by race, 1981–2016[1] Crude suicide rate in the United States by age, 1981–2016[1] Suicide in the United States is a major national public health issue. The country has one of the highest suicide rates among wealthy nations.[2] In 2020, there were 45,799 recorded suicides,[3] up from 42,773 in 2014, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).[4][5][6] On average, adjusted for age, the annual U.S. suicide rate increased 30% between 2000 and 2020, from 10.4 to 13.5 suicides per 100,000 people.[7] In 2018, 14.2 people per 100,000 died by suicide, the highest rate recorded in more than 30 years.[8][9] Due to the stigma surrounding suicide, it is suspected that suicide is generally underreported.[10] In April 2016, the CDC released data showing that the suicide rate in the United States had hit a 30-year high,[11][12] and later in June 2018, released further data showing that the rate has continued to increase and has increased in every U.S. state except Nevada since 1999.[13][14] From 2000 to 2020, more than 800,000 people died by suicide in the United States, with males representing 78.7% of all suicides that happened between 2000 and 2020.[3] Surging death rates from suicide, drug overdoses and alcoholism, what researchers refer to as “deaths of despair”, are largely responsible for a consecutive three year decline of life expectancy in the U.S.[15][16][17][18] This constitutes the first three-year drop in life expectancy in the U.S. since the years 1915–1918.[17] In 2015, suicide was the seventh leading cause of death for males and the 14th leading cause of death for females.[19] Additionally, it was the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 34.[20] From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans aged 35 to 64 increased nearly 30 percent. The largest increases were among women aged 60 to 64, with rates rising 60 percent, then men in their fifties, with rates rising nearly 50 percent.[9] In 2008, it was observed that U.S. suicide rates, particularly among middle-aged white women, had increased, although the causes were unclear.[21] As of 2018, about 1.7 percent of all deaths were suicides.[3] The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reported that in 2016 suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., imposing a cost of $69 billion to the US annually.[10][19] Other statistics reported are:[10] The annual age-adjusted suicide rate is 13.42 per 100,000 individuals. Males die by suicide 3.5 times more often than females. On average, there are 132 suicides per day. White males accounted for 7 of 10 suicides in 2016. A firearm is used in almost 50% of all suicides. The rate of suicide is highest in middle age—among white men in particular. The U.S. government seeks to prevent suicides through its National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a collaborative effort of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Indian Health Service.[22] Their plan consists of eleven goals aimed at preventing suicides.[23]…
Facts About Suicide | Suicide | CDC
Facts About Suicide | SuicideSuicide and suicide attempts cause serious emotional, physical, and economic impacts. People who attempt suicide and survive may experience serious injuries that can have long-term effects on their health. They may also experience depression and other mental health concerns.8 The good news is that more than 90% of people who attempt suicide and survive never go on to die by suicide.9 Suicide and suicide attempts affect the health and well-being of friends, loved ones, co-workers, and the community. When people die by suicide, their surviving family and friends may experience shock, anger, guilt, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and may even experience thoughts of suicide themselves.8 The financial toll of suicide on society is also costly. In 2019, suicide and nonfatal self-harm cost the nation nearly $490 billion in medical costs, work loss costs, value of statistical life, and quality of life costs.10
Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?
Suicide of a Superpower I admire Buchanan much more now, after having read this book. I’ve read a couple of his books, but he’s never exhibited the kind of Christian wisdom he showed in this book. He recognizes the spiritual decline in America is responsible for the cultural and political decline we are experiencing now.He takes direct aim at multiculturalists in this book, with even greater precision and force than in “Day of Reckoning.” He argues that the flood of third-world immigration into the Western nations is o …more I think this one is going to keep that five-star rating to the very end. America needs to wake up and listen to Mr. Buchanan. Unfortunately, that would mean stopping immigration for a while. But the more difficult task is that we need to declare ourselves a Christian nation again and re-think our “tolerance” and multinationalism. Mr. Buchanan speaks from good common sense – a nation is built (and remains strong) when it shares common religion, culture, and morals. When a nation embraces diversit …more Lacking the humor of Mark Steyn’s “After America”, this title has the subtlety of a kick in the teeth. Once upon a time we lived by “common sense” but that was replaced by political correctness, moral equivalency and the fantastical pursuit of an egalatarian utopia. Truthfully, turning away from this new reality in my opinion is an even greater fantasy. It’s not going to happen. Buchanan eloquently explains how we’ve gotten to this point and where it’s leading us. He offers suggestions on how to …more I read yesterday that MSNBC is considering banishing Buchanan, again, for publishing this book. Interesting tactic for a “news” outlet. The idea that certain ideas “approved” by the left cannot be suppressed, while other, disfavored ideas, cannot be permitted, is one of the points Buchanan quite eloquently makes in this exhaustively researched and exceedingly well written tome. …more America is losing its status as a superpower. National debt as a percent of gross domestic product is increasing, the federal payroll is growing larger, more people are receiving handouts, the religious and moral values of the country are being lost, and the Democratic party is buying votes to stay in power with its giveaway programs. Even if you don’t agree with the aauthor, this work should give you food for thought. …more Pat, Pat, Pat… I worked for Pat in 1992 and will always remember him as a nice, funny, and ridiculously smart person. In his defense, and to his discredit, he has not changed at all. This book should have been subtitled, “How the country I grew up in was ruined by all of these brown people.” While Pat is a great writer and therefore fun to read, he offers nothing new in this book. Day of Reckoning, State of Emergency, and now Suicide. I suppose the next book will be called, “I am not kidding, …more As expected, this was a hate-filled diatribe by the person who pushed my spouse out of the Republican party via his culture war speech at the 1992 Republican convention. Buchanan’s attempts to use statistics to support his views are entertaining. His view tends to remind one of immigrant whites trying to hold onto large black-majority African nations (such as South Africa) in the 20th century. …more I can’t say I agreed with a lot of what Pat Buchanan offered, but I did like the fact that…