Record-High U.S. Suicide Rates in 2022
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Suicide rates in the U.S. reached all-time highs in 2022, more than any year on record since 1941, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The rise to 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, compared to 14.1 in 2021, indicates a 1% increase in the suicide rate nationwide.
When the CDC provides provisional data, it implies its incomplete, indicating that the final count of suicides in 2022 will likely be higher as additional death certificates are processed.
The current data includes a total of 49,449 suicides, raising the possibility that the number of U.S. suicides may surpass 50,000 in a single year for the first time on record. This figure is more than twice the number of homicides in 2022 but is still likely to remain below the threshold for including suicide as a top 10 cause of death for U.S. adults.
Men were approximately four times more likely than women to die by suicide, with the highest rates observed among senior men. However, in 2022, the suicide rate increased twice as much for women, with particularly notable rises among White women and those aged 25 to 34.
The data also underscores a troubling surge in suicide among older adults. Among all age groups, the highest rate of suicide was observed in adults aged 75 and over, with 21.3 deaths per 100,000 people. Likewise, the most substantial rate increase among any age group occurred in those aged 55 through 64, reaching 18.5 deaths per 100,000, compared to 17 in 2021.
Loneliness, identified by the CDC as a significant public health concern for older adults, appears to be on the rise globally. Research estimates that at least 50% of adults over 60 are at risk for social isolation.
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