US suicide rates remain near historic highs in 2023, data suggests

Preliminary data suggests that U.S. suicide deaths in 2023 remained near historically high levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 49,300 suicides last year, a slight decrease from the nearly 49,500 deaths recorded in 2022.

The final count may increase as investigations into some deaths are completed. Despite the small difference, the suicide rate for both years remains the same, according to CDC officials.

Suicide rates in the U.S. have been on the rise for nearly two decades, with a brief decline at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts see the leveling off in recent years as a cautiously optimistic sign.

Katherine Keyes, a public health professor at Columbia University, noted that efforts like the national 988 crisis line, which connects people with mental health specialists, may be having a positive impact. However, she cautioned that more time is needed to determine the long-term effects of such interventions.

Suicide, the 11th leading cause of death in 2022, is influenced by a variety of factors including increased rates of depression, limited access to mental health services, and the prevalence of firearms. CDC data shows that firearms were involved in about 55% of all suicide deaths in 2022.

The report highlighted that suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–14 and 20–34, and the third leading cause for those aged 15–19. Men, particularly those 75 and older, had the highest suicide rate, while suicide rates for young women and teens have doubled over the past two decades.

The overall suicide rate for both 2022 and 2023 was 14.2 per 100,000 people, the highest since 2018 and a rate not seen since 1941.