Over three times more men than women died by suicide in Washington state between 2015 and 2019, the Centers for Disease Control’s most recent data show. The suicide gender disparity in Washington is consistent with the disparity in the country as a whole.
Top 5 Causes of Death Among Males in Washington By Age Group, 2015-2019
Figures pulled from the CDC’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) reveal that among males, suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death in the age groups 10 to 14, 15 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44. (Unintentional injury was the leading cause.) For men ages 45 to 54, suicide was the 4th leading cause of death.
The largest gender disparity was among Washingtonians ages 15 to 24, among which 4.5 times more males killed themselves than females: 680 males to 150 females.
Twenty-four girls between ages 10 and 14 took their lives, making suicide the top cause of death for girls of that age group. Thirty-three boys in the same age group committed suicide.
[Related: Our testimony on HB 1354 concerning preventing youth suicides – Video]
Leading Causes of Death Among Males in Washington, All Ages, 2015-2019
When considering the top 20 causes of death for males of all ages, suicide was the 8th leading cause, with 4,651 suicides during the five-year period. Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death among females, with 1,439. (If as many men killed themselves as women, suicide would have dropped from the 8th ranked to the 14th ranked cause of death among males. If as many women died by suicide as men, suicide would have jumped from the 11th to the 7th leading cause of death.)
White men, who are a majority of men in Washington, made up a large majority of the men who died by suicide. Experts have theorized about the disproportionately high rate of suicide among whites. Psychiatrist Dale Archer, for example, wrote in a piece for Psychology Today, “Blacks (and Hispanics) tend to have stronger family support, community support and church support to carry them through rough times.”
| Race | Male Suicides in Washington, 2015-2019 |
| White | 4,129 |
| Other race categories (combined) | 352 |
| Asian / Pacific Islander | 235 |
| Black | 150 |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 117 |
On our Boys’ and Men’s Issues webpages, we document that men die earlier and at higher rates compared to women from a variety of causes, including suicide.
Below are charts showing the leading causes of death in Washington state for men and women. Suicides are highlighted in green.
If You Know Someone in Crisis
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.