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QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Suicide Rates* for Females and Males, by Method† — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2000 and 2014

Weekly / May 20, 2016 / 65(19);503


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The figure above is a bar chart showing that from 2000 to 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate increased from 4.0 to 5.8 per 100,000 for females and from 17.7 to 20.7 for males. Suicide rates by specific method (firearm, poisoning, suffocation, or other methods) also increased, with the greatest increase seen for suicides by suffocation. During the 15-year period, the rate of suicide by suffocation more than doubled for females from 0.7 to 1.6 and increased from 3.4 to 5.6 for males. In 2014, among females, suicide by poisoning had the highest rate (1.9), and among males, suicide by firearm had the highest rate (11.4).

* From 2000 through 2014, there was a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the total suicide rate and the rates for each method, for both females and males.

† Suicides by different methods are identified with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)–10 codes: X72–X74 for firearms, X60–X69 for poisoning, X70 for suffocation, and X71, X75–X84, U03, and Y87.0 for other. Poisoning includes intentional self-harm by toxic exposure to drugs, alcohol, gases, vapors, pesticides, chemicals, or other noxious substances. Suffocation includes intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation. Other includes intentional self-harm by cutting/piercing; drowning; fall; fire/flame; other land transport; other specified, classifiable injury; other specified, not elsewhere classified injury; and unspecified injury. Suicides include decedents of all ages.

From 2000 to 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate increased from 4.0 to 5.8 per 100,000 for females and from 17.7 to 20.7 for males. Suicide rates by specific method (firearm, poisoning, suffocation, or other methods) also increased, with the greatest increase seen for suicides by suffocation. During the 15-year period, the rate of suicide by suffocation more than doubled for females from 0.7 to 1.6 and increased from 3.4 to 5.6 for males. In 2014, among females, suicide by poisoning had the highest rate (1.9), and among males, suicide by firearm had the highest rate (11.4).
Sources: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality Data. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm.
Curtin SC, Warner M, Hedegaard H. Increase in suicides in the United States, 1999–2014. NCHS data brief, no 241. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db241.htm.

Reported by: Holly Hedegaard, MD, hdh6@cdc.gov, 301-458-4460; Sally C. Curtin, MA; Margaret Warner, PhD.

Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Suicide Rates for Females and Males, by Method — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2000 and 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:503. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6519a7.

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