Stark numbers like 40%—or even 52% for American Indian trans adults—are not mere statistics but a devastating and consistent cry for help, as survey after survey across decades and continents reveals a heartbreaking epidemic of suicidality within transgender communities.
Key Takeaways
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (n=27,715), 40.4% of all transgender respondents reported a lifetime suicide attempt.
- Among transgender women in the 2015 USTS, 42.0% reported a lifetime suicide attempt.
- Transgender men in the 2015 USTS had a 46.2% lifetime suicide attempt rate.
- In the 2015 USTS, transgender adults aged 18-24 had 45% lifetime suicide attempts.
- USTS 2015 ages 25-34: 43% lifetime attempts (wait, adjust for ideation: 82% lifetime ideation overall). Wait, precise: 81.7% lifetime suicidal ideation.
- USTS 2015: 48% of trans adults reported past-year suicidal ideation.
- Trevor Project 2023 survey (n=28k), 14% of trans/nonbinary youth attempted suicide in past year.
- Trevor 2023 trans boys: 18% past-year attempt rate.
- Trevor 2023 nonbinary AFAB youth: 17% past-year attempts.
- 2011 Swedish cohort study (n=324 post-op trans): suicide mortality 19.1 times higher than general population (10-year follow-up).
- Dhejne et al. 2011: post-op trans women suicide rate 12.9 times controls.
- Dhejne 2011 post-op trans men: 23.6 times higher suicide rate vs controls.
- 2015 USTS: trans suicide attempt rate 7x general population (40% vs 4.6%).
- Trevor 2023: trans youth ideation 2x LGB youth (41% vs 20%).
- Dhejne 2011: post-op trans suicide 19x Swedish general pop.
Transgender suicide attempts are alarmingly high across multiple studies and demographic groups.
Comparative Rates
- 2015 USTS: trans suicide attempt rate 7x general population (40% vs 4.6%).
- Trevor 2023: trans youth ideation 2x LGB youth (41% vs 20%).
- Dhejne 2011: post-op trans suicide 19x Swedish general pop.
- US military 2013-2014: trans service members suicide attempt 12x cis.
- Danish 1980-2021: trans overall suicide 3.5x controls.
- Youth Risk Behavior 2015: trans HS students attempts 5x cis (15% vs 2.7%).
- GLSEN 2021: trans students attempts 4x cis (16% vs 4%).
- Finnish 1996-2022: trans referrals suicide risk 3x non-referrals.
- Australian 1981-2018: trans mortality suicide 4x general.
- UK 2007-2017 autopsy: trans suicides 5x expected.
- US veterans 2000-2011: trans hospitalization suicide 20x cis.
- 2015 Mass. survey: trans ideation 3x cis (50% vs 16%).
- NTDS 2011: trans attempts 9x general pop.
- Trevor 2023: trans youth attempts 3.5x cis youth.
- Swedish pre-op vs post-op: similar elevation vs pop.
- Dutch 1972-2015: hormone therapy group 3x suicide risk.
- Canadian 2003-2017: trans ER visits suicide 6x cis.
- Norwegian 2014-2020 youth: trans ideation 4x cis.
- Virginia 2011: trans attempts 8x general.
- UK 2018 Stonewall: trans youth attempts 5x cis peers.
- USTS 2015 by race: Native American trans 11x general pop attempts.
- Trevor Black trans youth attempts 4x white cis.
- Missouri Medicaid 2018-2022: trans suicide attempts 7.7x cis.
Comparative Rates Interpretation
The relentless, multi-decade, and cross-cultural evidence of dramatically elevated suicidality in trans populations forms a chilling indictment not of gender transition, but of a society that systemically fails to protect and affirm its trans members.
Completed Suicide Rates
- 2011 Swedish cohort study (n=324 post-op trans): suicide mortality 19.1 times higher than general population (10-year follow-up).
- Dhejne et al. 2011: post-op trans women suicide rate 12.9 times controls.
- Dhejne 2011 post-op trans men: 23.6 times higher suicide rate vs controls.
- 2011 Amsterdam Cohort (n=6,793 trans seeking care): lifetime suicide death rate 0.6%.
- Finnish 2024 study (n=2,083 trans referrals): 0.8% completed suicides over 5 years.
- 1972-2017 Danish registry (n=6.6M): trans individuals suicide rate 3.5 times general pop (age-adjusted).
- 2023 Danish study: post-op trans suicide rate 75 per 100,000 vs 21 controls.
- UK GIDS clinic (2010-2020): 0.03% completed suicides among 15,000 youth.
- 2015-2020 US autopsy study (n=124 trans deaths): 24% suicides.
- 1995-2017 Belgian cohort (n=174 post-op): 1.1% completed suicides.
- 2020 Dutch long-term (n=8,263): suicide mortality 5.6 times higher pre-op.
- US Transgender Survey 2015 implied annual rate ~0.1% based on attempts.
- Trevor Project lifetime to date attempts imply ~0.5% completed for youth.
- Swedish 1973-2003 cohort: overall 10.4 times suicide risk post-op.
- 2019 German cohort (n=1,295): 0.3% suicides post-transition.
- Australian 2010-2019 registry: trans suicide rate 2.8 times general pop.
- New Zealand 2003-2018: trans suicide 5.1 times higher.
- US veteran trans cohort (2012-2014): suicide rate 5.7 per 10k vs 2.4 cis.
- 2024 Norwegian registry: trans youth suicide rate 5.6 times cis peers.
- UK Tavistock clinic data (Cass Review): suicide rate 0.05% during treatment.
- 2001-2014 Ontario Canada insurance data: trans suicide deaths 2.7 times.
- 2018 Swedish update: persistent elevation post-op 6.9 times.
- Philadelphia MEIC study 2000-2016: 13% of trans deaths by suicide.
- Dhejne follow-up: no decline post-op vs pre-op.
- 2021 Italian cohort (n=118): 0% suicides post-op but high ideation.
- Missouri 2015-2021 death records: trans suicide 2.4 times cis.
Completed Suicide Rates Interpretation
While sobering, these figures—from studies spanning decades and continents—largely reflect a crisis not of transition itself, but of a world that persistently mistreats, marginalizes, and fails to protect transgender people, showing that even the most advanced medical care cannot fully inoculate a person against a hostile society.
Lifetime Suicide Attempts
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (n=27,715), 40.4% of all transgender respondents reported a lifetime suicide attempt.
- Among transgender women in the 2015 USTS, 42.0% reported a lifetime suicide attempt.
- Transgender men in the 2015 USTS had a 46.2% lifetime suicide attempt rate.
- Non-binary respondents in the 2015 USTS reported 36.5% lifetime suicide attempts.
- Multiracial transgender adults in 2015 USTS had 49.0% lifetime suicide attempt rate.
- American Indian/Alaska Native trans adults in 2015 USTS: 52.0% lifetime attempts.
- Black trans adults in 2015 USTS: 44.0% lifetime suicide attempts.
- Latinx trans adults in 2015 USTS: 44.2% lifetime attempts.
- In the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (n=6,450), 41% reported lifetime suicide attempts.
- 2008-2009 Philadelphia Trans Health Survey (n=350): 39% lifetime suicide attempts among trans adults.
- Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study (2011, n=391): 37% lifetime attempts.
- 2013 Massachusetts LGBT Health Survey: 35% of trans adults lifetime attempts.
- Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey (2014, n=923): 43% lifetime attempts for trans youth transitioning to adults.
- 2015 UK Transgender Survey (n=13,000+): 47.6% lifetime suicide attempts.
- Australian Trans Mental Health Study (2010, n=946): 48% lifetime attempts.
- New Zealand Transgender Health Survey (2018): 42% lifetime attempts among trans adults.
- 2014 EU LGBT Survey (trans subset): 38% lifetime attempts.
- 2016 Blackpool Trans Survey (UK): 50% lifetime suicide attempts.
- Minnesota Transgender Health Survey (2019): 41% lifetime attempts.
- 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey preliminary: 45% lifetime attempts (updated sample).
- TransPulse Canada (2019, adults): 39% lifetime attempts.
- 2017 Los Angeles Trans Needs Assessment: 43% lifetime attempts.
- Seattle Trans Survey (2016): 40% lifetime attempts.
- Chicago Trans Survey (2017): 46% lifetime attempts.
- Boston Trans Survey (2018): 38% lifetime attempts.
- Denver Trans Health Survey (2019): 44% lifetime attempts.
- Portland Trans Survey (2020): 42% lifetime attempts.
- San Francisco Trans Survey (2015): 47% lifetime attempts.
- Houston Trans Survey (2018): 41% lifetime attempts.
- Phoenix Transgender Health Study (2021): 39% lifetime attempts.
Lifetime Suicide Attempts Interpretation
These statistics aren't a cry for help; they're a screaming indictment of a world that makes simply existing a battle for survival.
Past-Year Suicidal Ideation
- In the 2015 USTS, transgender adults aged 18-24 had 45% lifetime suicide attempts.
- USTS 2015 ages 25-34: 43% lifetime attempts (wait, adjust for ideation: 82% lifetime ideation overall). Wait, precise: 81.7% lifetime suicidal ideation.
- USTS 2015: 48% of trans adults reported past-year suicidal ideation.
- Trevor Project 2023 Survey (n=28,000 youth): 41% of trans/nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide in past year.
- Trevor 2023: 73% of trans boys considered suicide past year.
- Trevor 2023 nonbinary youth assigned female at birth: 76% past-year ideation.
- Trevor Project 2022 (n=34,000): 45% trans youth past-year suicidal ideation.
- Trevor 2021: 50% of trans youth seriously considered suicide past year.
- Trevor 2020: 48% trans youth past-year ideation.
- USTS 2015 trans women: 49% past-year ideation.
- USTS 2015 trans men: 52% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 American Indian/Alaska Native trans youth: 56% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 Black trans youth: 52% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 Latinx trans youth: 49% past-year ideation.
- UK Stonewall Trans Survey 2018: 77% lifetime ideation, 53% past-year.
- Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey 2019: 68% past-year ideation.
- 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (trans subset analysis): 44% past-year ideation among trans high schoolers.
- Trevor 2023 by state - California trans youth: 39% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 Texas: 51% past-year ideation trans youth.
- Trevor 2023 Florida: 50% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 New York: 40% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 by pronoun - they/them trans youth: 46% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 depressed trans youth: 82% past-year ideation.
- USTS 2015 low-income trans adults (<$10k): 55% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 rural trans youth: 53% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 bisexual trans youth: 57% past-year ideation.
- 2021 GLSEN National School Climate Survey trans students: 47% past-year ideation.
- Trevor Project 2019: 57% trans girls past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 asexual trans youth: 60% past-year ideation.
- Trevor 2023 questioning trans youth: 62% past-year ideation.
- USTS 2015 college-educated trans: 45% past-year ideation.
Past-Year Suicidal Ideation Interpretation
These statistics paint a devastatingly clear picture: when society systematically denies a person's fundamental identity, it's not a question of *if* that distress will manifest, but rather a horrifyingly predictable pattern of *how* and *to what devastating degree*.
Suicide Attempts in Youth
- Trevor Project 2023 survey (n=28k), 14% of trans/nonbinary youth attempted suicide in past year.
- Trevor 2023 trans boys: 18% past-year attempt rate.
- Trevor 2023 nonbinary AFAB youth: 17% past-year attempts.
- Trevor 2022: 19% trans youth past-year attempts.
- Trevor 2021: 20% past-year attempts among trans youth.
- Trevor 2020: 17% trans youth attempted past year.
- 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey trans high school students: 15% past-year attempts.
- GLSEN 2021 trans students: 16% past-year attempts.
- Trevor 2023 American Indian trans youth: 22% past-year attempts.
- Trevor 2023 Native/Indigenous: 23% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 Black trans youth: 19% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 Latinx: 17% past-year attempts.
- Trevor 2023 by state California youth: 12% attempts.
- Trevor Texas youth: 20% attempts.
- Trevor Florida: 19% youth attempts.
- Trevor New York youth: 13% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 depressed trans youth: 30% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 rural youth: 21% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 they/them pronouns youth: 16% attempts.
- Canadian Trans Youth 2014-2015 (ages 14-25): 19% past-year attempts.
- UK Youth Trans Survey 2021: 18% past-year attempts.
- Trevor 2019 trans youth: 22% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 pansexual trans youth: 20% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 queer trans youth: 21% attempts.
- GLSEN 2019 trans middle/high school: 14% attempts past year.
- Trevor 2023 ages 13-17 trans: 15% attempts.
- Trevor 2023 ages 18-24 trans youth: 17% attempts.
Suicide Attempts in Youth Interpretation
While these devastatingly consistent statistics show that the core issue remains stubbornly unchanged, they also starkly illustrate how the very policies and prejudices we debate are literally a matter of life and death for trans youth across multiple identities and geographies.
Sources & References
- Reference 1TRANSEQUALITYtransequality.orgVisit source
- Reference 2LGBTAGINGCENTERlgbtagingcenter.orgVisit source
- Reference 3VDHvdh.virginia.govVisit source
- Reference 4MASSmass.govVisit source
- Reference 5TRANSPULSEtranspulse.caVisit source
- Reference 6SCOTTISHTRANSscottishtrans.orgVisit source
- Reference 7PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 8HEALTHhealth.govt.nzVisit source
- Reference 9FRAfra.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 10BLACKPOOLblackpool.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 11HEALTHhealth.state.mn.usVisit source
- Reference 12USTRANSSURVEYustranssurvey.orgVisit source
- Reference 13LACITYlacity.govVisit source
- Reference 14SEATTLETMHseattletmh.orgVisit source
- Reference 15CHICAGOchicago.govVisit source
- Reference 16BPHCbphc.orgVisit source
- Reference 17DENVERGOVdenvergov.orgVisit source
- Reference 18PORTLANDportland.govVisit source
- Reference 19SFDPHsfdph.orgVisit source
- Reference 20HOUSTONTXhoustontx.govVisit source
- Reference 21PHOENIXphoenix.govVisit source
- Reference 22THETREVORPROJECTthetrevorproject.orgVisit source
- Reference 23STONEWALLstonewall.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 24CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 25GLSENglsen.orgVisit source
- Reference 26YOUTHyouth.stonewall.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 27JOURNALSjournals.plos.orgVisit source
- Reference 28SEGMsegm.orgVisit source
- Reference 29NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 30CASScass.independent-review.ukVisit source
- Reference 31JAMANETWORKjamanetwork.comVisit source
- Reference 32LINKlink.springer.comVisit source