How many people die by suicide in West Virginia each year?
About 353 suicides in 2022. In other words, there were about 18.3 suicides for every 100,000 people in West Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain that suicide can be caused by a range of factors, that exist at the individual, relationship, community and societal levels.
Showing data for
In 2022,
353
people died by suicide
In 2022,
18.3
people died by suicide per 100,000
The rate of suicide in West Virginia has varied over time. These changes occurred alongside changes in the age and size of the population. The risk of suicide varies by age, so analyzing suicides with an age-adjusted rate, which accounts for these factors, provides a clearer understanding of trends over time.
The suicide rate in West Virginia has increased by 22.8% over the past 20 years.
Age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 people
In 2022, West Virginia had an age-adjusted suicide rate of 18.3. This represents a 22.8% increase compared to 20 years earlier. This change in rate is 7.5 percentage points lower than the 30.3% increase from the United States during that same period.
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Race is one demographic that affects risk of suicide. In West Virginia, White people are at the highest risk.
In West Virginia, White people died by suicide at a higher rate than any other race.
Age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 people between 2018-2022
Age is also a suicide risk factor. In West Virginia, the highest risk occurs between the ages of 35 and 39 years, when the rate of suicide was 30.2 per 100,000 people. When compared to the national suicide rate during the same period (2018-2022), West Virginia’s rate of suicide was 65% higher.
Risk of suicide peaks between the ages of 35-39 years
Deaths per 100,000 people between 2018-2022
