The national suicide rate peaked in 2018, and then declined in both 2019 and 2020, according to CDC data released Feb. 25.
Six things to know:
1. The age-adjusted suicide rate peaked in 2018 at 14.2 per 100,000 Americans.
2. From 2019 to 2020, the overall suicide rate declined by 3 percent, including 8 percent among women and 2 percent among men.
3. Between 2000 and 2020, the overall suicide rate rose 30 percent, with men three to four times more likely to take their lives.
4. Suicide went from being the 10th leading cause of death in 2019 to the 12th in 2020. This is because of the rise in deaths caused by COVID-19 and from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.
5. Female suicide rates decreased for those older than 25 but continued to increase for those aged 10-14 and 15-24. Suicide rates for men older than 45 dropped significantly from 2018-20.
6. Firearm-related suicide became the leading method for women in 2020, replacing poisoning. Among men, rates of firearm-related suicide have been rising since 2006.