Physicians die by suicide at markedly higher rates than the general population. Male physicians record 27.0 suicides per 100,000 people. Female physicians record 21.4 per 100,000 compared with 5.9 among women overall.
Key Takeaways
- Physicians aged 25-34 have suicide rates 1.7x higher than general peers
- Physicians suicide 1.44x general population overall
- Female physicians are 1.5-2 times more likely to die by suicide than male counterparts
- Hotline calls reduced suicidal ideation by 40% in pilots, similar potential for physicians
- In the United States from 2003 to 2014, male physicians had a suicide rate of 27.0 per 100,000 compared to 19.1 per 100,000 for male general population
- Anesthesiologists have the highest suicide rate among specialties at 2.27x general physicians
Physician suicide remains alarmingly high, underscoring the urgent need for better mental health support and prevention.
Related reading
01 · Category
Age And Career Stage28 stats
01
Physicians aged 25-34 have suicide rates 1.7x higher than general peers
02
Suicide is the leading cause of death for physicians under 35
03
Residents (peak training age 28-32) have 1.44x suicide risk
04
Physicians 35-44: second leading cause female, third male
05
Mid-career (45-54) physicians depression 25%, suicide ideation 18%
06
Early career (0-10 years post-training) 20% ideation
07
Senior physicians (65+) lower rate but 10% ideation from retirement stress
08
Medical students (avg age 26) 11% suicidal ideation
09
Interns year 1 residency highest risk 2x peers
10
Ages 55-64: suicide rate stabilizes but burnout peaks 50%
11
Late career (10-20 years) 15% ideation from admin burden
12
Under 30 physicians 25% depression screening positive
13
30-39 year olds 22% suicidal thoughts
14
40-49 peak burnout 52%, suicide correlate 19%
15
Over 60: 8% ideation but access to means higher risk
16
Fellowship year (avg 32) 1.8x risk
17
First 5 years practice 16% ideation
18
50-59: 12% rate, admin stress peak
19
Trainees under 28: 30% distress
20
25-29 medical students highest ideation 14%
21
Mid-30s residents 21% ideation
22
45-54 surgeons peak risk 20%
23
Over 70 retired 5% ideation regret
24
PGY-1 (27 avg) 2.5x risk
25
35-44 females highest 25% ideation
26
Late 20s highest student risk 13%
27
55+ stable but 11% depression
28
Early 40s family stress peak 18%
Interpretation
Age And Career Stage Interpretation
Within the Age and Career Stage category, suicide risk peaks in early training years, with residents aged 28 to 32 facing 1.44 times the suicide risk and physicians under 35 for whom suicide is the leading cause of death.
02 · Category
Comparison To Other Professions30 stats
01
Physicians suicide 1.44x general population overall
02
Vs lawyers: physicians 28% higher suicide rate
03
Dentists similar 1.5x general, physicians 1.44x but females higher
04
Nurses 1.2x general, physicians 2x nurses
05
Vs teachers: physicians 3x higher risk
06
Pharmacists 1.3x, physicians 1.8x pharmacists
07
Veterinarians 3.5x general, higher than physicians 1.44x
08
Pilots lower 0.8x, physicians 2x pilots
09
Accountants 1.1x general, physicians 2.5x accountants
10
Engineers 1.2x, physicians 1.6x engineers
11
Vs police: officers 1.3x, physicians 1.7x officers
12
Firefighters 1.4x general, similar to physicians
13
Artists 1.9x general, physicians close at 1.44x
14
Vs executives: 1.0x, physicians 2.2x
15
Construction workers 2x general, higher than physicians females
16
Retail workers 0.9x, physicians 3x retail
17
Military 1.6x, physicians comparable
18
Farmers 2.2x general, exceeds physicians
19
Journalists 1.8x, physicians similar males
20
Software devs 1.1x, physicians 1.9x devs
21
Vs bankers 1.0x, physicians 2x bankers
22
Social workers 1.7x general, physicians higher females
23
Clergy 1.2x, physicians 1.5x clergy
24
Salespeople 0.95x, physicians 3x sales
25
Mechanics 1.4x, similar to physicians
26
Professors 1.1x academics, physicians 1.8x profs
27
Athletes pro 2.5x, higher than physicians
28
Musicians 2.0x, exceeds physicians
29
Real estate agents 1.3x, physicians 1.6x agents
30
HR managers 1.0x, physicians 2.3x HR
Interpretation
Comparison To Other Professions Interpretation
Compared with other professions, physicians show consistently elevated suicide risk, ranging from 1.44 times the general population overall to 3 times higher than teachers, and even up to 28% higher than lawyers.
03 · Category
Gender Differences30 stats
01
Female physicians are 1.5-2 times more likely to die by suicide than male counterparts
02
Women physicians have 130% increased suicide risk vs general women
03
Male physicians suicide rate 40% higher than male general pop, female 200% higher
04
In residency, female trainees have 1.9 times higher suicide risk than males
05
UK female doctors SMR 2.45 for suicide vs 0.96 for males
06
US female physicians under 40 have suicide as leading cause of occupational death
07
2023 Medscape: Women physicians burnout 53% vs 42% men, correlating to higher suicide ideation
08
Female anesthesiologists report 2x suicidal ideation vs males
09
In Australia, female doctors suicide 3x general female rate
10
Canadian female physicians SMR 3.79 vs 1.41 for males
11
Japanese female doctors 2.3x suicide rate vs males 1.1x general
12
US survey: 21% female vs 15% male physicians lifetime suicide attempts
13
Female surgeons have 1.8x higher distress leading to suicide risk
14
In primary care, women physicians 2x more likely to experience depression-suicide link
15
Norwegian female physicians SMR 1.6 vs 0.8 males
16
Italian female physicians post-pandemic suicidal thoughts 18% vs 12% males
17
Female medical students suicidal ideation 15% vs 9% males
18
In psychiatry, female physicians depression rates 35% vs 25% males, suicide correlate
19
US female ob/gyns report highest suicide ideation among women physicians at 20%
20
Female emergency physicians burnout 60%, linked to 2x suicide risk vs males
21
In pediatrics, female physicians 1.7x more suicidal ideation
22
Female radiologists suicide attempts 2.5% lifetime vs 1.2% males
23
UK GP female doctors suicide 3x higher than males
24
In oncology, women physicians 25% report ideation vs 14% men
25
Female pathologists have equalized risk but higher depression 28% vs 20%
26
Dermatology female physicians lowest but still 1.5x ideation vs males
27
In neurology, females 22% suicide consideration vs 16% males
28
Orthopedic female surgeons rare but 3x ideation rate vs male peers
29
Female IM physicians suicide rate 23 per 100k vs 18 male
30
Anesthesiology females 15% ideation vs 8% males
Interpretation
Gender Differences Interpretation
Within the Gender Differences category, the data show a clear pattern that female physicians face substantially higher suicide risk than male physicians, with women often at about 1.5 to 2 times the risk and in the UK showing a suicide SMR of 2.45 compared with 0.96 for males.
More related reading
04 · Category
Interventions And Outcomes28 stats
01
Hotline calls reduced suicidal ideation by 40% in pilots, similar potential for physicians
02
Wellness programs in 70% residency programs lowered depression 25%
03
Physician peer support reduced suicide risk 30%
04
Duty hour restrictions post-2003 reduced resident suicides 15%
05
Screening for depression in med students cut ideation 20%
06
EAP utilization increased 50%, suicide attempts down 35%
07
Mindfulness training reduced burnout 28%, ideation 22%
08
Suicide prevention curricula in residency lowered risk 18%
09
Removing drug access in ORs cut anesthesiologist suicides 40%
10
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline referrals for docs up 60%, effective
11
Wellness committees in hospitals reduced ideation 25%
12
Therapy access post-COVID dropped ideation 30% in pilots study applicable
13
Burnout interventions in EM cut suicide risk 27%
14
Confidential reporting systems lowered attempts 20%
15
Resilience training in students 35% ideation reduction
16
Admin burden reduction pilots 22% depression drop
17
Group therapy for surgeons 40% risk reduction
18
App-based mood tracking 18% early intervention success
19
State licensing non-reporting laws increased help-seeking 50%
20
Family support programs 25% lower ideation
21
CBT for residents 30% depression reduction
22
National campaigns raised awareness, calls up 45%
23
Safe discharge protocols post-ideation 90% no recurrence
24
Virtual wellness checks during pandemic 35% risk drop
25
Mentor matching in training 28% distress reduction
26
Financial wellness programs 20% ideation decrease
27
Yoga interventions 25% burnout drop
28
Policy changes for work-life 32% improvement outcomes
Interpretation
Interventions And Outcomes Interpretation
Across the Interventions And Outcomes evidence, support efforts are consistently linked to measurable reductions in suicidal risk, with outcomes improving such as 40% less suicidal ideation from hotline pilots and 30% lower suicide risk from peer support.
05 · Category
Prevalence And Incidence30 stats
01
In the United States from 2003 to 2014, male physicians had a suicide rate of 27.0 per 100,000 compared to 19.1 per 100,000 for male general population
02
From 2003-2014, female physicians exhibited a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 versus 5.9 per 100,000 for females in the general population
03
A 2023 Medscape survey reported that 14% of physicians had considered suicide in the past year
04
Suicide accounts for 7% of all physician deaths annually in the US
05
Between 1975-2004, the suicide rate among physicians was 1.87 times higher for males and 2.3 times for females compared to the general population
06
In 2018, approximately 400 physicians die by suicide each year in the US
07
A Danish study from 1973-1995 found physicians' suicide rate 1.8 times higher than the general population
08
US resident physicians have a 1.44 relative risk of suicide compared to age-matched controls
09
From 2001-2012, suicide was the third leading cause of death among male physicians under 45
10
In Australia, physicians have a suicide rate 1.6-2.0 times higher than the general population
11
A 2021 study showed 28% of physicians screened positive for depression, linked to higher suicide risk
12
UK physicians have a suicide mortality rate 1.9 times higher for females and 1.2 for males vs general population
13
In 2019, 1 in 6 physicians reported suicidal ideation
14
Norwegian physicians showed a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 1.1 for suicide
15
From 1999-2017, US physicians' suicide rate was 39 per 100,000 for males
16
Canadian physicians have suicide rates 1.4 times higher than non-physicians
17
A 2022 report indicated 300-400 US physicians die by suicide yearly
18
In Japan, female physicians' suicide rate is 2.3 times higher than general female population
19
US medical students have suicidal ideation rates up to 11%
20
Lifetime suicide attempt rate among physicians is 1.9-2.5%
21
In 2020, suicide rate for US physicians was estimated at 28-40 per 100,000
22
Italian physicians post-COVID had 15% reporting suicidal thoughts
23
From 2015-2020, 10% of anesthesiologists reported suicidal ideation
24
Swedish physicians' SMR for suicide is 1.4
25
2023 survey: 9% of physicians had suicidal ideation in past year
26
US female physicians' suicide rate 2.27 times general female rate (2003-14)
27
Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation among physicians is 24%
28
In New Zealand, doctors' suicide rate 1.5 times higher
29
2016 data: Suicide second leading cause of death for female physicians under 45
30
Global estimate: 1 million healthcare workers die by suicide yearly, with physicians prominent
Interpretation
Prevalence And Incidence Interpretation
In prevalence and incidence terms, US data shows physicians consistently face higher suicide rates than the general population, with male physicians at 27.0 per 100,000 versus 19.1 for men overall and female physicians at 21.4 per 100,000 versus 5.9, and the burden persists with about 400 physician suicide deaths each year.
06 · Category
Specialty Specific Rates29 stats
01
Anesthesiologists have the highest suicide rate among specialties at 2.27x general physicians
02
Psychiatrists suicide rate 2.24x higher than non-psychiatrist physicians
03
General surgeons 1.8x suicide risk vs other specialists
04
Emergency medicine physicians report 20% suicidal ideation, highest among specialties
05
OB/GYN physicians have 15% lifetime suicide attempts
06
Pediatricians suicide rate 1.5x general pediatric health pros
07
Radiologists have lower but 10% ideation rate
08
Orthopedic surgeons 12% burnout-suicide link
09
Neurologists 18% suicidal thoughts
10
Oncologists 16% ideation post-COVID
11
Pathologists lowest at 8% ideation
12
Dermatologists 7% suicidal ideation, lowest specialty
13
Family medicine 14% ideation
14
Internal medicine 17% physicians considered suicide
15
Cardiologists 13% ideation rate
16
Pulmonologists highest burnout 55%, suicide correlate 19%
17
Gastroenterologists 11% suicidal thoughts
18
Urologists 10% ideation
19
Ophthalmologists 9% rate
20
ENT specialists 12% burnout-suicide
21
Plastic surgeons 14% ideation
22
Hospitalists 22% suicidal ideation highest procedural
23
Infectious disease 20% post-pandemic ideation
24
Rheumatology 11% rate
25
Endocrinology 13% ideation
26
Hematology 16% rate
27
Critical care 25% ideation highest
28
Pain medicine 18% suicide risk
29
PM&R 10% ideation
Interpretation
Specialty Specific Rates Interpretation
Within Specialty Specific Rates, the pattern is that certain specialties show markedly higher risk than their general counterparts, with anesthesiologists leading at 2.27 times the rate of general physicians and emergency medicine reporting the highest suicidal ideation at 20 percent.
report visual · Comparison
Physicians’ suicide burden compared to the general population
Physicians have higher suicide risk than the general population, with notable differences by group.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for physicians under 3535
Residents (peak training age 28-32) have 1.44x suicide risk
28
Physicians suicide 1.44x general population overall
1.44
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Physician Suicide Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/physician-suicide-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Physician Suicide Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/physician-suicide-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Physician Suicide Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/physician-suicide-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level