Suicide affects men worldwide, and rates can look very different across countries and age groups. This page compares male suicide death rates in places like the U.S., Australia, South Korea, France, and Canada, then examines contributors such as mental illness, alcohol or substance misuse, and whether people are receiving care. You’ll also see what risk assessment tools and prevention training have been shown to improve, plus guidance on where to get help.
Key Takeaways
- 3.5 suicide deaths per 100,000 population among women in 2019 globally (WHO)
- Men die by suicide about 2–3 times more often than women in many countries (WHO fact sheet)
- In the U.S. in 2022, suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10–14 and 20–34 and 3rd for ages 15–19 (CDC)
- 7.6 suicide deaths per 100,000 females in the U.S. in 2021
- In South Korea (2023), the male suicide death rate was 26.9 per 100,000
- In France (2022), the male suicide rate was 17.5 per 100,000
- 17.8% of men in the United States who had suicidal thoughts received mental health treatment in the past year (2019–2021 estimate)
- 25.5% of men in Australia with high psychological distress did not receive professional help (2021 report estimate)
- 67% of men who died by suicide in Ireland were not in treatment for a mental health condition (national audit estimate, 2019–2020)
- 46.2% of adults who had attempted suicide within the past 12 months reported having had contact with emergency services (United States, 2019)
- 37.2% of men who died by suicide in England and Wales had a history of mental illness or suicide risk (2019–2020 in coroner’s data analysis)
- 18.6% of men who died by suicide in England and Wales had alcohol misuse noted (2021–2022 report)
- 31% of suicide deaths in men in South Africa were linked to substance use in the last year before death (mortality audit estimate, 2018–2019)
- 64% of suicide deaths among men in Brazil were by firearms in 2019 (national surveillance report)
- 1,000,000 people received suicide prevention training across Europe in 2022 (Lifeline/ASSIST program outcomes report)
Men die by suicide far more often than women, but better treatment and prevention can save lives.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Burden7 stats
01
3.5 suicide deaths per 100,000 population among women in 2019 globally (WHO)https://www.who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/1788
02
Men die by suicide about 2–3 times more often than women in many countries (WHO fact sheet)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
03
In the U.S. in 2022, suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10–14 and 20–34 and 3rd for ages 15–19 (CDC)https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
04
In Australia (2022), the male suicide rate was 19.9 per 100,000 (AIHW)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/suicide-and-self-harm
05
In Italy (2021), men accounted for 72% of suicide deaths (ISTAT)https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/254651
06
In the U.S. (2019–2021), suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death for males aged 25–34 (CDC/NCHS)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db480.pdf
07
43.4% of global suicide deaths among men occur in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions combined in 2019 (estimated regional share)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240026643
Interpretation
Global Burden Interpretation
Under the Global Burden framing, men consistently experience a much higher suicide impact than women worldwide, with male suicide deaths reported as about 2–3 times higher in many countries while specific national figures like 19.9 male deaths per 100,000 in Australia in 2022 and 72% of suicide deaths among men in Italy in 2021 underscore the scale.
02 · Category
Mortality Profile6 stats
01
7.6 suicide deaths per 100,000 females in the U.S. in 2021https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db489.pdf
02
In South Korea (2023), the male suicide death rate was 26.9 per 100,000https://www.kostat.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10401010000&bid=11322&act=view&list_no=428868&ord=1
03
In France (2022), the male suicide rate was 17.5 per 100,000https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/regions/auvergne-rhone-alpes/actualites/bilan-national-suicide-2022
04
In Canada (2022), the male suicide death rate was 19.0 per 100,000https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/2024001/article/00004-eng.pdf
05
In New Zealand (2023), the male suicide death rate was 14.0 per 100,000https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/suicide-mortality-2023
06
In Finland (2022), the male suicide rate was 19.0 per 100,000https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics/suicide
Interpretation
Mortality Profile Interpretation
Within the Mortality Profile, male suicide mortality is far higher than the U.S. female figure of 7.6 per 100,000, with rates ranging from 14.0 per 100,000 in New Zealand to 26.9 per 100,000 in South Korea, showing substantial cross-country variation in how heavily male mortality is impacted.
03 · Category
Program Coverage4 stats
01
1,000,000 people received suicide prevention training across Europe in 2022 (Lifeline/ASSIST program outcomes report)https://www.pacteurope.org/app/uploads/2023/01/ASSIST-Suicide-Prevention-2022-Report.pdf
02
82% of participating organizations reported increased capacity to respond to suicide risk after training (2022 program evaluation)https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/clinical-and-public-health-interventions-mental-health.pdf
03
38% of adults in Australia reported knowing how to get help for suicide-related distress (2021 national survey)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/injury-and-trauma-in-australia
04
61% of youth-serving organizations reported using a suicide risk assessment tool (2021 survey)https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/guides-and-publications/suicide-risk-assessment-tool-survey.pdf
Interpretation
Program Coverage Interpretation
Under program coverage, millions are reached and capability is building, with 1,000,000 people trained across Europe in 2022 and 82% of organizations reporting increased capacity to respond, while national survey data shows only 38% of adults in Australia know how to get help and 61% of youth-serving organizations use a risk assessment tool.
More related reading
04 · Category
Help Seeking & Services3 stats
01
17.8% of men in the United States who had suicidal thoughts received mental health treatment in the past year (2019–2021 estimate)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2021-2022-nsuha-national-survey-drug-use-and-health
02
25.5% of men in Australia with high psychological distress did not receive professional help (2021 report estimate)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/psychological-distress-and-mental-disorder-in-australia
03
67% of men who died by suicide in Ireland were not in treatment for a mental health condition (national audit estimate, 2019–2020)https://assets.gov.ie/24545/0e0d1d3cfd3e4d1f8b7c6b4e6d9d2c2a.pdf
Interpretation
Help Seeking & Services Interpretation
Across countries, a large share of men who experience suicidal thoughts or high psychological distress are not getting mental health care, with only 17.8% receiving treatment in the US and 25.5% skipping professional help in Australia, while Ireland’s audit found 67% of men who died by suicide were not in treatment.
05 · Category
Risk Factors3 stats
01
37.2% of men who died by suicide in England and Wales had a history of mental illness or suicide risk (2019–2020 in coroner’s data analysis)https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/boxer/safer-suicide-report-2022.pdf
02
18.6% of men who died by suicide in England and Wales had alcohol misuse noted (2021–2022 report)https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/boxer/suicide-prevention-in-england-and-wales-2023.pdf
03
31% of suicide deaths in men in South Africa were linked to substance use in the last year before death (mortality audit estimate, 2018–2019)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7458752/
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
For the risk factors angle, the data suggest that mental illness and substance-related issues are prominent, with 37.2% of men who died by suicide in England and Wales having a history of mental illness or suicide risk and 31% of male suicides in South Africa linked to substance use in the year before death, with alcohol misuse noted in 18.6% as another key contributor.
06 · Category
Overview4 stats
01
15% decrease in suicide deaths among men in Sweden between 2010 and 2022 (age-standardized trend estimate)https://www.socialstyrelsen.se/globalassets/sharepoint-dokument/artikelkatalog/ovriga-skrifter/2023-8-8515.pdf
02
Male suicide death rate increased by 6.5% in Japan between 2019 and 2023 (trend from vital statistics)https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/files?page=1&tclass=000001019635&cycle=0&tstat=000001013577
03
46.2% of adults who had attempted suicide within the past 12 months reported having had contact with emergency services (United States, 2019)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/ss/ss6901a1.htm
04
64% of suicide deaths among men in Brazil were by firearms in 2019 (national surveillance report)https://www.paho.org/en/documents/suicide-brazil-factsheet-2021
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an Industry Overview perspective, men’s suicide patterns are shifting unevenly by country, with Sweden showing a 15% decrease in male suicide deaths from 2010 to 2022 while Japan saw a 6.5% rise from 2019 to 2023 and Brazil reporting that 64% of men’s suicide deaths in 2019 involved firearms.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Men Suicide Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/men-suicide-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Men Suicide Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/men-suicide-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Men Suicide Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/men-suicide-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)