USA Suicide Summary: 1996 Official Final Data

[ 1996 State Data ] [ Additional 1996 Detailed Data Tables ]

U.S.A. SUICIDE: 1996 OFFICIAL FINAL DATA

Number Per Day Rate
% of Deaths

Nation
30,903 84.4 11.6 1.3

Males
24,998 68.3 19.3 2.1
Group (Number of Sui.)
Rate

Females
5,905 16.1 4.4 0.5
White Male (22,547)
20.9

Whites
27,856 76.1 12.7 1.4
White Female (5,309)
4.8

Nonwhites
3,047 8.3 6.7 0.9
Nonwhite Male (2,451)
11.3

Blacks
2,164 5.9 6.5 0.8
Nonwhite Female (596)
2.5

Elderly (65+ yrs.)
5,855 16.0 17.3 0.3
Black Male (1,820)
11.4

Young (15-24 yrs.)
4,358 11.9 12.0 13.4
Black Female (344)
2.0

Extrapolations about:

Deaths by Suicide (Completions):

Average of 1 person every 17.1 minutes killed themselves.
Average of 1 old person every 1 hour 30.0 minutes killed themselves.
Average of 1 young person every 2 hours 1.0 minutes killed themselves. (If the 302 suicides below age 15 are included, 1 young person every 1 hour 53.1 minutes)
4.2 male completions for each female completion.
9th ranking cause of death in U.S.A.-- ranks14th for old; ranks 3rd for young

Causes of Death Among Those 15-24 Yrs. of Age, 1996:

Cause	Number	Rate
All Causes	32,443	89.6
1-Accidents	13,809	38.1
2-Homicide	6,548	18.1
3-Suicide	4,358	12.0

Attempts (figures are estimates; no official U.S. national attempt data are compiled; based on research findings):

25 attempts for every completion for nation.
775,000 annual attempts in U.S.
100-200:1 for young, and 4:1 for elderly (attempts to completion ratios)
5 million living Americans (estimate) have attempted to kill themselves
3 female attempts for each male attempt

Survivors ("Suicide survivors" refers to the family, friends, significant others, and loved ones of individuals who die by suicide. No official data exist to determine the number of survivors and no systematic or large-scale epidemiological study has been conducted to provide better estimates.):

EACH SUICIDE INTIMATELY AFFECTS AT LEAST 6 OTHER PEOPLE (estimate)
Based on 31,000 suicides annually, the number of survivors grows 186,000 each year
If there is a suicide every 17 minutes, then there are 6 new survivors every 17 minutes as well
Based on the over 745,000 suicides from 1971 through 1996, it is estimated that the number of survivors of suicides in the U.S. is 4.47 million (1 of every 59 Americans in 1996)

Men, Women, Young, Old All Use Firearms as Their Leading Method of Suicide

Suicide by Firearms:

Number

Rate
Percent of Total
All Other Methods

Number

Rate
Percent of Total

Firearm suicides USA

18,166

6.8
58.8%
All Other USA

12,737

4.8
41.2%

Firearm suicides Young

2,724

7.5
62.5%
All Other Young

1,634

4.5
37.5%

Firearm suicides Old

4,184

12.4
71.5%
All Other Old

1,671

4.9
28.5%

Firearm suicides Male

15,808

12.2
63.2%
All Other Male

9,190

7.1
36.8%

Firearm suicides Female

2,358

1.7
39.9%
All Other Female

3,547

2.6
60.1%

U.S.A. Suicide Rates by Age

(Rates per 100,000 population)

1990-1996

Age
1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

5-14
00.8

00.7

00.9

00.9

00.9

00.9

00.8

15-24
13.2

13.1

13.0

13.5

13.8

13.3

12.0

25-34
15.2

15.2

14.5

15.1

15.4

15.4

14.5

35-44
15.3

14.7

15.1

15.1

15.3

15.2

15.5

45-54
14.8

15.5

14.7

14.5

14.4

14.6

14.9

55-64
16.0

15.4

14.8

14.6

13.4

13.3

13.7

65-74
17.9

16.9

16.5

16.3

15.3

15.8

15.0

75-84
24.9

23.5

22.8

22.3

21.3

20.7

20.0

85+
22.2

24.0

21.9

22.8

23.0

21.6

20.2

65+
20.5

19.7

19.1

19.0

18.1

18.1

17.3

Total
12.4

12.2

12.0

12.1

12.0

11.9

11.6

10 Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.A., 1996
(total of 2,314,690 deaths)
Rank	Cause of Death	Rate	Deaths
1	Diseases of the heart	276.4	733,361
2	Malignant neoplasms	203.4	539,533
3	Cerebrovascular diseases	60.3	159,942
4	Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases	40.0	106,027
5	Accidents	35.8	94,948
6	Pneumonia & influenza	31.6	83,727
7	Diabetes mellitus	23.3	61,767
8	HIV infection	11.7	31,130
9	Suicide	11.6	30,903
10	Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis	9.4	25,047
-	All other causes (Residual)	169.0	448,305

Old made up 12.8% of 1996 population but committed 18.9% of the suicides.

Young were 13.7% of 1996 population and committed 14.1% of the suicides.

Official data source: Peters, K.D., Kochanek, K.D., & Murphy, S.L. (1998). Deaths: Final data for 1996. National Vital Statistics Report, 47(9). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 99-1120. [Data to be published in the 1996 annual volume of Vital Statistics of the United States.]

Population figures source: Table I, p. 93, of the National Center for Health Statistics (Peters et al., 1998) publication above.

	number of suicides by group	Suicide Data Page: 1996
suicide rate =	-----------------------------------	X 100,000	19 November 1998
	population of group	Prepared for AAS by John L. McIntosh, Ph.D.

[ 1996 State Data ] [ Additional 1996 Detailed Data Tables ]

11/22/98 - JLM- Prepared for the American Association of Suicidology by John L. McIntosh, Ph.D. links updated 6 May 99

	Number	Per Day	Rate	% of Deaths
Nation	30,903	84.4	11.6	1.3
Males	24,998	68.3	19.3	2.1	Group (Number of Sui.)	Rate
Females	5,905	16.1	4.4	0.5	White Male (22,547)	20.9
Whites	27,856	76.1	12.7	1.4	White Female (5,309)	4.8
Nonwhites	3,047	8.3	6.7	0.9	Nonwhite Male (2,451)	11.3
Blacks	2,164	5.9	6.5	0.8	Nonwhite Female (596)	2.5
Elderly (65+ yrs.)	5,855	16.0	17.3	0.3	Black Male (1,820)	11.4
Young (15-24 yrs.)	4,358	11.9	12.0	13.4	Black Female (344)	2.0

Suicide by Firearms:	Number	Rate	Percent of Total	All Other Methods	Number	Rate	Percent of Total
Firearm suicides USA	18,166	6.8	58.8%	All Other USA	12,737	4.8	41.2%
Firearm suicides Young	2,724	7.5	62.5%	All Other Young	1,634	4.5	37.5%
Firearm suicides Old	4,184	12.4	71.5%	All Other Old	1,671	4.9	28.5%
Firearm suicides Male	15,808	12.2	63.2%	All Other Male	9,190	7.1	36.8%
Firearm suicides Female	2,358	1.7	39.9%	All Other Female	3,547	2.6	60.1%

U.S.A. Suicide Rates by Age
(Rates per 100,000 population)
1990-1996
Age	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
5-14	00.8	00.7	00.9	00.9	00.9	00.9	00.8
15-24	13.2	13.1	13.0	13.5	13.8	13.3	12.0
25-34	15.2	15.2	14.5	15.1	15.4	15.4	14.5
35-44	15.3	14.7	15.1	15.1	15.3	15.2	15.5
45-54	14.8	15.5	14.7	14.5	14.4	14.6	14.9
55-64	16.0	15.4	14.8	14.6	13.4	13.3	13.7
65-74	17.9	16.9	16.5	16.3	15.3	15.8	15.0
75-84	24.9	23.5	22.8	22.3	21.3	20.7	20.0
85+	22.2	24.0	21.9	22.8	23.0	21.6	20.2
65+	20.5	19.7	19.1	19.0	18.1	18.1	17.3
Total	12.4	12.2	12.0	12.1	12.0	11.9	11.6