Hispanic Populations

Hispanic or Latino is defined as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.1 On this web page we use the term Hispanic. In 2022, people of Hispanic origin composed an estimated 19.1% of the U.S. population.2

The suicide rates among Hispanic populations increased from 5.7 per 100,000 in 2011 to 7.5 per 100,000 in 2020. The suicide rate among the overall U.S. population increased from 12.3 per 100,000 in 2011 to 13.5 per 100,000 in 2020.3

Suicide rates among Hispanic populations remain somewhat steady from age 15 through the lifespan. This pattern is different than that seen in the overall U.S. population, where suicide rates increase from age 15 until ages 45 to 54, then decline until age 74, and begin to increase again at age 75.​3

Between 2011 and 2020, the suicide death rate among Hispanic males was more than four times the rate among Hispanic females. The suicide death rate among the overall U.S. population was more than double the rate among Hispanic populations in both males and females.3

In 2020, similar percentages of Hispanic adults and adults in the overall U.S. population reported past-year serious thoughts of suicide, a past-year suicide plan, or a past-year suicide attempt.4

In 2021, higher percentages of high school youth in Hispanic populations reported they felt sad or hopeless, made a suicide plan, attempted suicide, and made a suicide attempt requiring treatment in the past year compared to youth in the overall U.S. population. The percentage of high school youth in Hispanic populations who reported they seriously considered suicide was equal to the percentage among youth in the overall U.S. population.5

 References

  1. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2021). 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-detailed-tables
  2. United States Census Bureau. (2022). Quick Facts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). 1999-2020 Wide ranging online data for epidemiological research (WONDER), multiple cause of death files [Data file]. National Center for Health Statistics. http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html
  4. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2023). 2021 National survey on drug use and health: Detailed tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2021-nsduh-detailed-tables
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). 1991-2021 High school youth risk behavior survey data [Data file]. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. http://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/

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The charts and graphs in this section are also available as a PowerPoint slide set. Feel free to use this slide set to deliver a presentation about the scope of the suicide problem.