Black or African American People

Black or African American people had significantly lower suicide rates than the overall U.S. population between 2019 and 2023. During this time period, the suicide rate among Black or African American people increased slightly, from 8 to 9 per 100,000, while the rate for the overall U.S. population stayed at 14 per 100,000.








Among Black and African American people, suicide rates were highest among those ages 15 to 44 between 2019 and 2023, peaking among those ages 25 to 34. Suicide rates for Black and African American children ages 5 to 14 were on par with rates for children in the overall U.S. population. Beginning at age 15, however, rates among Black and African American people were consistently lower than rates among the overall U.S population and this gap generally increased over time.








As in the overall U.S. population, between 2019 and 2023 the rate of suicide deaths among males was over three times the rate among females among Black and African American people. The rate of suicide deaths among Black and African American people was lower than among the overall U.S. population for both males and females.








In 2024, while the percentage of Black and African American adults reporting suicidal thoughts in the previous year was equal to the percentage of adults in the overall U.S. population, slightly more Black or African American adults reported having made a plan or attempted suicide.








In 2023, a very slightly lower percentage of Black and African American high school youth reported feeling sad or hopeless in the past year, seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year, making a suicide plan in the past year, and attempting suicide in the past year compared to high school youth in the overall U.S. population.








The Scope of the Problem charts and graphs are also available as a PowerPoint slide set.