The Problem

More people die from suicide than from homicide in the United States. In 1998, 30,575 Americans took their own lives, an average of 84 each day. That's almost twice the 17,893 homicides that occurred that year.

In 1998, suicide was the eighth leading cause of death in this country. For 10- to 24-year-olds, it was the third leading cause.

The highest suicide rates of any age group occur among people ages 65 and older. On average, an older adult commits suicide every 90 minutes.

While females attempt suicide more often than males, males are at least four times as likely to die from suicide. In 1998, males accounted for 80% of all completed suicides in the United States.

Among youth 15 to 19, boys were five times as likely as girls to commit suicide; among 20- to 24-year-olds, males were seven times as likely as females to commit suicide.

The number of completed suicides reflects only a small portion of the impact of suicidal behavior. In 1998, an estimated 671,000 visits to U.S. hospital emergency departments were due to self-directed violence.

Future Steps

Many suicides go unreported, masking the magnitude of the suicide problem in the United States. Medical examiners cannot always determine whether or not a person's death was deliberate. Even if suicide is suspected, the official cause of death may be listed as unintentional. To better document the scope of the problem, identify high-risk groups, and identify trends in incidence and prevalence, we must improve the quality of data collection at national, state, and local levels. While we have learned a lot about the factors that contribute to suicidal behavior, we must continue research in that area to develop more effective prevention strategies. We must also continue to evaluate current interventions and develop and test new ones. And as data become available about what works, we must communicate that information to practitioners in the field. Research, program development, evaluation, and communication—all call for CDC to work with public and private partners.

Just The Facts: Suicide and Older Adults

Since 1933, the first year states began reporting deaths, adults 65 and older have had the highest suicide rate of all age groups. While older adults make up 13% of the U.S.population, they account for nearly 20% of suicide deaths. Suicide rates tend to rise with age and are highest among white men 65 and older.

Just The Facts: Suicide and Young People

The rate of youth suicides has tripled since the 1950s, and today, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds. In 1998, more teenagers and young adults died of suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined.