We've Made Scant Progress on America's Suicide Rate

Suicides in the US ticked down in 2024, but experts say the big picture hasn't really improved in a century. New CDC figures show the rate slipped from 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023 to 13.7 in 2024, with total deaths falling 1% to 48,824. Still, rates have hovered near 14 since 2017, and suicide climbed from the nation's 11th to 10th leading cause of death in 2024. For young people ages 10 to 44, it remained the second leading cause of death.

The burden isn't even, notes the New York Times, which reports that "over the past 100 years, the suicide rate appears virtually unchanged, though it has fluctuated throughout the years and also varies by region": Alaska's rate (29.7 per 100,000) was more than five times that of Washington, DC, (5.7) in 2024. As for the decrease in 2024, researchers cite possible gains from the 988 hotline and school programs. But "I always think we have to be doing more," says Holly Wilcox, who heads the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention. "I want to get to the point where we have the sustained reduction." If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.