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last modified 6/17/09

2006 Official Final Statistics
animation 2006 data
U.S.A. SUICIDE:

Prepared for the American Association of Suicidology

by John L. McIntosh, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Indiana University South Bend

This set of data is a supplement to the summary data found at the 2006 Summary Data site, providing additional data with minimial duplication of figures.

Data Sources:

All data for suicide deaths based on figures either appearing in or calculated based on figures posted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website and resources (NCHS, WISQARS or WONDER), in National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) publications, or received directly from NCHS Mortality Branch personnel. These figures are derived from death records collected at local and state levels provided to NCHS for national compilations.

A 2-page summary data sheet of many of the statistics below and some others is prepared annually for the American Association of Suicidology. To obtain a copy of the sheet, either make a request to Dr. McIntosh or to AAS (phone 202-237-2280; FAX 202-237-2282; e-mail info@suicidology.org; 5221 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015). A webpage version of the information on the sheet may be found in the 2006 Summary Data link at this site. In addition, a PDF version of the summary data page and state page may be viewed and printed (to download a free copy of Acrobat Reader to view PDF files, go to www.adobe.com).

A set of over 73 overheads (available in PDF format that can be printed in color) is available for purchase from the American Association of Suicidology. The set is updated annually as new statistics are available (the 2006 set is available for purchase currently). The set provides basic information on suicide deaths (by age, race, sex, method, marital status, etc.), suicide attempts (with detailed information by age and sex), and survivors of suicide. Contact AAS at the above numbers/addresses for further information and ordering (the figures at this website provide a sample of some of the data presented in the overhead set). New slides usually are added following the development of the original set. The original set contains 73 slides for the data year 2006. When overheads are developed after a set is compiled, they may be downloaded as PDF files from John McIntosh's homepage.

Suicide rates are calculated by dividing the number of suicides among a group by the population of the group and multiplying the result by 100,000. This produces the number of suicides per each unit of 100,000 for the group. The "crude" rates of suicide can be compared directly to other crude rates.

All listings of 65+ and "elderly" refer to those aged 65 years and above; all referrals to "young," unless otherwise noted, imply those aged 15-24 years of age.

Suicide by Race and Sex: Nation, Elderly, Young (2006 data)

All Ages Combined (Nation)
Elderly (65+ yrs)
Youth (15-24 yrs)
Group
Number of Suicides
Rate of Suicide
No. of Elderly Suicides
Elderly Suicide Rate
No. of Youth Suicides
Youth Suicide Rate

Nation

33,300

11.1

5,299

14.2

4,189

9.9

Men

26,308

17.8

4,462

28.5

3,528

16.2

Women

6,992

4.6

837

3.9

661

3.2

Whites

30,138

12.4

5,040

15.5

3,477

10.5

Nonwhites

3,162

5.5

259

5.6

712

7.8

Blacks

1,954

4.9

142

4.4

416

6.3

White Men

23,767

19.8

4,267

30.9

2939

17.2

White Women

6,371

5.2

773

4.1

538

3.4

Nonwhite Men

2,541

9.2

195

10.5

589

12.6

Nonwhite Women

621

2.1

64

2.3

123

2.7

Black Men

1,669

8.8

128

10.4

358

10.6

Black Women

285

1.4

14

0.7

58

1.8
* Note: rates based on less than 20 deaths are considered unreliable and should be interpreted cautiously.

Methods of Suicide: Detailed (2006 data)

National Figures
Method
Percent of Total (33,300 suicides)
Number of Suicides

Firearms
50.7%
16,883

Hanging, strangulation, suffocation
22.5%
7,491

Poisons
18.3%
6,109

All other methods
8.5%
2,817
Methods by Gender/Sex

Method
Men
Women
Men - Percent of Total
Men - Number of Suicides (26,308 total)
Women - Percent of Total
Women - Number of Suicides (6,992 total)
Firearms
56.0%
14,734
30.7%
2,149
Hanging, strangulation, suffocation
23.5%
6,173
18.9%
1,318
Poisons
12.5%
3,294
40.3%
2,815
All other methods
8.0%
2,107
10.2%
710

Suicide Methods by the Young (15-24 years of age) and Elderly (65 years and above)

Method of Suicide
Young
Elderly
Number of Suicides - Young (Total: 4,189)
Percent of Total - Young
Number of Suicides - Elderly (Total: 5,299)
Percent of Total - Elderly
Firearms
1,978
47.2%
3,828
72.2%
Hanging. strangulation, suffocation
1,509
36.0%
552
10.4%
Poisons
342
8.2%
570
10.8%
All other methods
360
8.6%
349
6.6%
State and Regional Figures on USA Suicide

State Data*

*including the District of Columbia
Caution: Annual fluctuations in state levels can make these data highly variable. The use of several years' data is preferable to conclusions based on single years alone.
2000 Data Only
State Data Tables for 1990-1999 and 2000

web 2001 Data Only | 2002 Data Only | 2003 Data Only | 2004 Data Only | 2005 Data Only | 2006 Data Only |

PDFs 1996-2006 individual years

Regional Data
2000 Data Only
Regional Data Tables for 1990-1999 and 2000

web 2001 Data Only | 2002 Data Only | 2003 Data Only | 2004 Data Only | 2005 Data Only | 2006 Data Only |

PDFs 1996-2006 individual years
State Data for Young and Old (table)
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
State Data for Men and Women (table)
2004 | 2005 | 2006
State Data - Crude vs. Age Adjusted Rates (table)
2004 | 2005 | 2006

2006 State and regional data source: CDC's WISQARS website and "Fatal Injury Reports": http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/ obtained 25 April 2009. [Note: divisional and regional figures calculated from state data]

[data are by place of residence]

Note: All rates are per 100,000 population.

 

METROPOLITAN AREAS & COUNTIES

Metropolitan Areas 1990-92

50 Largest Metropolitan Areas 1999-2002

70 Highest Ranking Counties with Reliable Rates 1999-2002

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Trend Figures & Other Figures Gallery

Suicide Rates for Men, Women, and the Nation, USA, 1933-2006

 

Suicide Rates for Whites and Nonwhites, USA, 1933-2006

 

Suicide Rates by Gender and Race, USA, 1933-2006

Suicide Rates for the Young (15-24), Elderly (65+), and the Nation, USA, 1933-2006

Cumulative Number of USA Suicides and Estimates of Survivors, 1982-2006 (last 25 years)

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NOTE: Inclusion of materials online at this site does not thereby constitute an official endorsement of these materials by the American Association of Suicidology. This site is not an official site of the American Association of Suicidology. Communication about this website should be addressed to its author at John L. McIntosh, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Indiana University South Bend.