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

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.

[CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality Data. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm , CDC, MMWR, Weekly / May 20, 2016 / 65(19);503]