USA Suicide Summary: 1996 Official Final Data

[ 1997 State Data ] [ Additional 1997 Detailed Data Tables ]

U.S.A. SUICIDE: 1997 OFFICIAL FINAL DATA

Number Per Day Rate % of Deaths

Nation
30,535 83.7 11.4 1.3

Males
24,492 67.1 18.7 2.1
Group (Number of Sui.)
Rate

Females
6,043 16.6 4.4 0.5
White Male (22,042)
20.2

Whites
27,513 75.4 12.4 1.4
White Female (5,471)
4.9

Nonwhites
3,022 8.3 6.5 1.0
Nonwhite Male (2,450)
11.1

Blacks
2,103 5.8 6.2 0.8
Nonwhite Female (572)
2.4

Elderly (65+ yrs.)
5,728 15.7 16.8 0.3
Black Male (1,764)
10.9

Young (15-24 yrs.)
4,186 11.5 11.4 13.3
Black Female (339)
1.9

Extrapolations about:

Deaths by Suicide (Completions):

Average of 1 person every 17.2 minutes killed themselves.
Average of 1 old person every 1 hour 31.8 minutes killed themselves.
Average of 1 young person every 2 hours 5.6 minutes killed themselves. (If the 307 suicides below age 15 are included, 1 young person every 1 hour 57.0 minutes)
4.1 male completions for each female completion.
8th 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, 1997:

Cause	Number	Rate
All Causes	31,544	86.2
1-Accidents	13,367	36.5
2-Homicide	6,146	16.8
3-Suicide	4,186	11.4

Suicide ranks 8th as a cause of death; Homicide ranks 13th. That is, more Americans kill themselves than are killed by others.

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

25 attempts for every completion for nation.
765,000 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 752,000 suicides from 1972 through 1997, it is estimated that the number of survivors of suicides in the U.S. is 4.51 million (1 of every 59 Americans in 1997)

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

17,566

6.6
57.5%
All Other USA

12,969

4.8
42.5%

Firearm suicides Young

2,587

7.1
61.8%
All Other Young

1,599

4.4
38.2%

Firearm suicides Old

4,008

11.8
70.0%
All Other Old

1,720

5.0
30.0%

Firearm suicides Male

15,194

11.6
62.0%
All Other Male

9,298

7.1
38.0%

Firearm suicides Female

2,372

1.7
39.3%
All Other Female

3,671

2.7
60.7%

U.S.A. Suicide Rates by Age

(Rates per 100,000 population)

1990-1997

Age 1990 1991 1992
1993
1994 1995 1996 1997

5-14 00.8 00.7 00.9 00.9 00.9 00.9 00.8 00.8

15-24 13.2 13.1 13.0 13.5 13.8 13.3 12.0 11.4

25-34 15.2 15.2 14.5 15.1 15.4 15.4 14.5 14.3

35-44 15.3 14.7 15.1 15.1 15.3 15.2 15.5 15.3

45-54 14.8 15.5 14.7 14.5 14.4 14.6 14.9 14.7

55-64 16.0 15.4 14.8 14.6 13.4 13.3 13.7 13.5

65-74 17.9 16.9 16.5 16.3 15.3 15.8 15.0 14.4

75-84 24.9 23.5 22.8 22.3 21.3 20.7 20.0 19.3

85+ 22.2 24.0 21.9 22.8 23.0 21.6 20.2 20.8

65+ 20.5 19.7 19.1 19.0 18.1 18.1 17.3 16.8

Total 12.4 12.2 12.0 12.1 12.0 11.9 11.6 11.4

10 Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.A., 1997
(total of 2,314,245 deaths)
Rank	Cause of Death	Rate	Deaths
1	Diseases of the heart	271.6	726,974
2	Malignant neoplasms	201.6	539,577
3	Cerebrovascular diseases	59.7	159,791
4	Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases	40.7	109,029
5	Accidents	35.7	95,644
6	Pneumonia & influenza	32.3	86,449
7	Diabetes mellitus	23.4	62,636
8	Suicide	11.4	30,535
9	Nephritis, nephrosis	9.5	25,331
10	Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis	9.4	25,175
-	All other causes (Residual)	169.3	453,104

Old made up 12.7% of 1997 population but committed 18.8% of the suicides.

Young were 13.7% of 1997 population and committed 13.7% of the suicides.

Official data source: Hoyert, D.L., Kochanek, K.D., & Murphy, S.L. (1999). Deaths: Final data for 1997. National Vital Statistics Report, 47(19). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 99-1120. [Data to be published in the 1997 annual volume of Vital Statistics of the United States.]

Population figures source: Table I, p. 99, of the National Center for Health Statistics (Hoyert et al., 1999) publication above.

	number of suicides by group	Suicide Data Page: 1997
suicide rate =	-----------------------------------	X 100,000	10 July 1999
	population of group	Prepared for AAS by John L. McIntosh, Ph.D.

American Association of Suicidology

4201 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 408

Washington, DC 20008

(202) 237-2280 Phone

(202) 237-2282 FAX

www.suicidology.org Website

berm101@ix.netcom.com Email

"to understand and prevent suicide as a means of promoting human well-being"

[ 1997 State Data ] [ Additional 1997 Detailed Data Tables ]

7/22/99 - JLM- Prepared for the American Association of Suicidology by John L. McIntosh, Ph.D. revised 2/22/00

	Number	Per Day	Rate	% of Deaths
Nation	30,535	83.7	11.4	1.3
Males	24,492	67.1	18.7	2.1	Group (Number of Sui.)	Rate
Females	6,043	16.6	4.4	0.5	White Male (22,042)	20.2
Whites	27,513	75.4	12.4	1.4	White Female (5,471)	4.9
Nonwhites	3,022	8.3	6.5	1.0	Nonwhite Male (2,450)	11.1
Blacks	2,103	5.8	6.2	0.8	Nonwhite Female (572)	2.4
Elderly (65+ yrs.)	5,728	15.7	16.8	0.3	Black Male (1,764)	10.9
Young (15-24 yrs.)	4,186	11.5	11.4	13.3	Black Female (339)	1.9

Suicide by Firearms:	Number	Rate	Percent of Total	All Other Methods	Number	Rate	Percent of Total
Firearm suicides USA	17,566	6.6	57.5%	All Other USA	12,969	4.8	42.5%
Firearm suicides Young	2,587	7.1	61.8%	All Other Young	1,599	4.4	38.2%
Firearm suicides Old	4,008	11.8	70.0%	All Other Old	1,720	5.0	30.0%
Firearm suicides Male	15,194	11.6	62.0%	All Other Male	9,298	7.1	38.0%
Firearm suicides Female	2,372	1.7	39.3%	All Other Female	3,671	2.7	60.7%

U.S.A. Suicide Rates by Age
(Rates per 100,000 population)
1990-1997
Age	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
5-14	00.8	00.7	00.9	00.9	00.9	00.9	00.8	00.8
15-24	13.2	13.1	13.0	13.5	13.8	13.3	12.0	11.4
25-34	15.2	15.2	14.5	15.1	15.4	15.4	14.5	14.3
35-44	15.3	14.7	15.1	15.1	15.3	15.2	15.5	15.3
45-54	14.8	15.5	14.7	14.5	14.4	14.6	14.9	14.7
55-64	16.0	15.4	14.8	14.6	13.4	13.3	13.7	13.5
65-74	17.9	16.9	16.5	16.3	15.3	15.8	15.0	14.4
75-84	24.9	23.5	22.8	22.3	21.3	20.7	20.0	19.3
85+	22.2	24.0	21.9	22.8	23.0	21.6	20.2	20.8
65+	20.5	19.7	19.1	19.0	18.1	18.1	17.3	16.8
Total	12.4	12.2	12.0	12.1	12.0	11.9	11.6	11.4