Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Attempts

Compared to the number of people who have serious thoughts of suicide, a much smaller number make suicide plans. Fewer still report suicide attempts or die by suicide. In 2024, 14.3 million people reported that they had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Four point six million people reported making a suicide plan that year, while 2.2 million reported making a suicide attempt. In 2023, the year for which we have the most recent data, 49,246 people died by suicide.








Self-reported suicide plans and attempts consistently increased from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, reports of both decreased, but in 2024, the rates rose to levels higher than those reported in 2022.  Between 2021 and 2024, the number of people making suicide plans increased by 1.1 million, and the number of people attempting suicide increased by 454,000. A similar pattern occurred in the number of people having thoughts of suicide, which increased by 2 million between 2021 and 2024.

Due to methodological changes, NSDUH results from 2020 cannot be compared to any other year.








Across all age groups, in 2024, the number of people reporting suicidal thoughts was at least twice as high as the number of people reporting having made suicide plans and that number is approximately twice as high as the number of people reporting making a suicide attempt. Adults ages 18 to 25 reported experiencing suicidal thoughts and making suicide plans and attempts twice as frequently as adults ages 26 to 49. Rates for adults 50 and older were even lower.








In 2024, there were not significant differences in the number of males and females who reported having had suicidal thoughts or making suicide plans and attempts.








In 2023, female high school youth reported higher rates than male high school youth, and than male and female high school youth overall, of having felt sad or hopeless, seriously considered suicide, made a suicide plan, or attempted suicide. Self-reported rates of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts were higher among high school youth than among adults in general (see slide 11).









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