Suicide rates are higher in men than women

Globally, more than 700,000 people die from suicide every year.

Understanding the factors that increase the risk of suicide can help us provide the most effective interventions and support systems.

One thing we do know is that more men die from suicide than women. In the chart, you can see male suicide rates (on the vertical axis) plotted against female rates. One dot is one country. Since all of the dots lie above the line, male suicide rates were higher in all countries included in this dataset.

The size of this gender gap varies by country. In the United States, rates among men are four times higher than amongst women. In South Korea and Japan, they’re around double. Some countries lie closer to the line, meaning the gap is smaller.

The exact reasons for this gender gap are still debated. Factors could include the lethality of different methods, stigma around seeking help, different social pressures, and alcohol and drug abuse.

Every suicide is a tragedy. However, suicide death rates have declined in many countries, and we know that they can be reduced further with greater understanding and support. If you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, you can receive immediate help by visiting resources such as findahelpline.com.

Read my colleague Saloni Dattani’s article on how suicide statistics can vary across sources →

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Our World in Data. “Suicide rates are higher in men than women” by Hannah Ritchie, published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0. Changed here: set as a page, its interactive charts shown as pictures. Data from third parties keeps its own licence.

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