Information about suicide

Every person who dies by suicide leaves behind survivors. Their loved ones are left shocked, grieving and struggling to understand and cope with their insurmountable loss.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, with 47,173 deaths due to suicide in 2017. (CDC)

Approximately a quarter million become survivors each year. (CDC)

In New Jersey, there were 687 deaths in 2016, with a crude death rate of 7.7 per 100,000 population. (CDC)

The following graph shows the number of deaths from suicide in Hunterdon (213), Mercer (419), and Middlesex (916) counties from 1999 to 2016:

Number of Deaths by Suicide In Hunterdon, Mercer, and Middlesex Counties, 1999-2016*

The pie chart below shows the age distribution of deaths from suicide in New Jersey from 1999 to 2016. The age groups are 10-19 years (520), 20-34 years (2,504), 35-54 years (4,728), and 55-74 years (2,661).

Number of Deaths by Suicide in New Jersey by Age Group, 1999-2016*

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1999-2016 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released June 2017. Data are from the Compressed Mortality File 1999-2016 Series 20 No. 2U, 2016, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program.

If you are in crisis, call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is there to help! If you prefer, they have a confidential online chat service. Click Here!