US suicide rate: Preliminary federal data suggest that the US suicide rate dipped slightly in 2024 after reaching some of its highest recorded levels in recent years. Experts say it is too early to know what is driving the change, or whether the decline will last.
According to provisional figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a little over 48,800 people died by suicide in 2024, roughly 500 fewer deaths than in 2023. That translates to an overall suicide rate of 13.7 deaths per 100,000 people, down from more than 14 per 100,000 in the previous three years.
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Suicide rates in the U.S. had been climbing for nearly two decades, with only a brief two-year decline around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic before rising again. Suicide remained the 10th leading cause of death in 2024. Researchers stress that suicidal behaviour is complex and influenced by many factors, including increasing rates of depression, limited access to mental health care, social and economic stress, and the widespread availability of firearms. Around 55% of suicide deaths involve a gun, CDC data show.
The new analysis also points to differences across age groups and regions. Suicide rates fell notably among adults in their late 20s and early 30s, while remaining relatively unchanged in many other age brackets. Some states in the South and Midwest saw declines, but rates in parts of the Mountain West remained high.
Specialists say recent efforts may be helping. Large health systems, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, have expanded programmes to screen and follow up with people at higher risk. The national 988 mental health crisis line, launched three years ago, has also made it easier for people in distress to reach trained counsellors quickly, with a dedicated option for veterans.
At the same time, some advocates have raised concerns about gaps in support. Last year, the federal government removed a 988 menu option that directed callers to counsellors specialising in support for LGBTQ+ young people, a group known to face an elevated risk of suicide. Researchers say such changes could undermine progress if high-risk communities lose tailored services.
While stigma around suicide and mental illness has eased in recent years and more people are willing to seek help, experts caution against drawing firm conclusions from a single year of data. They say it will take several more years of monitoring to know whether 2024 marks the beginning of a sustained decline or just a temporary shift in a long-running public health crisis.
