Suicide rates in the U.S. in 2021, by state

As of 2021, the U.S. states with the highest death rates from suicide were Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska. In Wyoming and Montana, there were around 32 suicide deaths per 100,000 population. In comparison, in New Jersey, the state with the lowest suicide death rate, there were only around seven suicide deaths per 100,000 population.

Differences in suicide rates by gender

In the United States, there is a vast difference in suicide rates between men and women with rates over 3.5 times higher among men. However, rates of suicide for both men and women have increased over the past couple of decades. Among men, those aged 75 years and older have the highest suicide rates, with around 42 deaths per 100,000 population in 2021. Among women, those aged 45 to 64 years have the highest rates of suicide death with 8.2 deaths per 100,000 population.

What is the most common method of suicide?

In the United States, the most common method of suicide is with firearms, followed by suffocation and then poisoning. In 2020, there were around 24,292 suicide deaths from firearms in the United States, compared to 12,495 deaths from suffocation and 5,528 from poisoning. At that time, firearms accounted for around 58 percent of suicide deaths among men. In comparison, around 33 percent of deaths from suicide among women were due to firearms, while suffocation and poisoning each accounted for 29 percent of such deaths.