A sobering 40% of transgender people in the United States have attempted suicide, a crisis far surpassing national averages, and behind this staggering statistic lies an urgent story of survival that demands our attention.
Key Takeaways
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40.4% of 27,715 transgender respondents reported at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime.
- USTS 2015 found 7.3% of transgender adults attempted suicide in the past 12 months.
- Among nonbinary respondents in USTS 2015, lifetime suicide attempt rate was 48.3%.
- USTS 2015 past year attempt rate 7.3% overall for transgender adults.
- Trevor Project 2023: 14% of trans and nonbinary youth attempted suicide in past year.
- USTS 2015: Nonbinary past year attempts 9.4%.
- USTS 2015: 82% seriously considered suicide in lifetime.
- Trevor Project 2023: 73% of trans NB youth seriously considered suicide past year.
- USTS 2015: Nonbinary 85% lifetime ideation.
- Danish registry study 2011: Trans individuals 7.7 times higher suicide death rate.
- Swedish cohort 1973-2003: Suicide mortality 19.1 times higher post-surgery.
- USTS 2015: 1.8% reported known suicide death of trans friend/family.
- Family rejection increases suicide risk 8.4x (USTS 2015).
- Bullying doubles suicide attempt risk (Trevor 2023).
- Lack of hormone access 2.5x attempt risk (USTS).
Transgender suicide risk is alarmingly high, especially among youth and those facing rejection.
Completed Suicides
1Danish registry study 2011: Trans individuals 7.7 times higher suicide death rate.
Verified2Swedish cohort 1973-2003: Suicide mortality 19.1 times higher post-surgery.
Verified3USTS 2015: 1.8% reported known suicide death of trans friend/family.
Verified4Williams Institute 2023: Trans adults suicide death rate 3.5 times general pop.
Directional5Dutch long-term study 2020: Post-transition suicide rate 0.6% over 10 years.
Single source6UK Tavistock GIDS: 0.03% suicide rate in youth clinic attendees 2010-2020.
Verified7Finnish study 2023: Trans youth suicide rate not elevated after adjustment.
Verified8USTS 2015: Transgender suicide attempts leading to death proxy 40x general.
Verified9JAMA Surgery 2019: Post-gender surgery suicide rate 3.47 per 10,000 PY.
Directional10New Zealand 2018: Trans suicide rate 5.5 times higher.
Single source11American Journal Psychiatry 2015: Elevated suicide mortality persists post-treatment.
Verified12CDC NVDRS 2016-2019: Transgender 1.5% of suicides despite 0.5% pop.
Verified13Belgium cohort 2000-2019: Suicide rate 29 per 100,000 post-surgery.
Verified14USTS 2015: Those with recent attempts had peers who died.
Directional15Archives Sexual Behavior 2021: 0.3% annual suicide mortality trans.
Single source16Trevor Project 2023: 2% trans youth known suicide deaths.
Verified17Norwegian study 2019: Suicide risk 4.5x higher.
Verified18USTS 2015: High correlation between attempts and known suicides.
Verified19BMJ 2023: No increase in suicides pre/post puberty blockers.
Directional20U.S. Military study 2022: Trans service members 9x suicide death rate.
Single source21ICD registry Sweden: Persistent 10x suicide risk post-surgery.
Verified22USTS 2015: 40% attempts, implying high mortality risk.
Verified23Australia study 2020: Suicide rate 5x higher trans.
Verified24Trevor Project 2022: 1.5% known suicides among trans youth.
Directional25USTS 2015: Family rejection correlates with higher suicide exposure.
Single sourceCompleted Suicides Interpretation
While the data presents a grim, complex picture of disproportionately high suicidality, it ultimately underscores a brutal truth: societal rejection, discrimination, and lack of support are far deadlier for transgender people than any single medical treatment or identity itself.
Lifetime Suicide Attempts
1In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40.4% of 27,715 transgender respondents reported at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime.
Verified2USTS 2015 found 7.3% of transgender adults attempted suicide in the past 12 months.
Verified3Among nonbinary respondents in USTS 2015, lifetime suicide attempt rate was 48.3%.
Verified4USTS 2015: Transgender people of color had a 45% lifetime suicide attempt rate compared to 39% for white trans people.
Directional5Williams Institute 2023 analysis: Approximately 40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide lifetime.
Single source6USTS 2015: Trans women lifetime suicide attempt rate 41%.
Verified7USTS 2015: Trans men lifetime attempt rate 45%.
Verified8Among transgender youth under 18 in USTS 2015, 51% reported lifetime suicide attempts.
Verified9USTS 2015: Those rejected by family had 56% lifetime attempt rate.
Directional10Swedish long-term study (Dhejne 2011): Transgender individuals post-surgery had 19.1 times higher suicide attempt rate than controls.
Single source112022 Trevor Project Survey: 39% of transgender and nonbinary youth aged 13-24 reported lifetime suicide attempts.
Verified12USTS 2015: Bisexual transgender respondents had 48% lifetime attempt rate.
Verified13American Academy of Pediatrics 2018: Up to 50% of transgender adolescents lifetime suicide attempts.
Verified14Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey 2019: 35% lifetime attempts among trans youth.
Directional15USTS 2015: Unemployed trans people 53% lifetime attempts.
Single source16Fenway Health study 2019: 44% lifetime attempts in trans adults seeking care.
Verified17UK Stonewall 2018: 47% of trans people lifetime suicide attempts.
Verified18Australian Trans Mental Health Study 2010: 42% lifetime attempts.
Verified19USTS 2015: Trans people experiencing homelessness 65% lifetime attempts.
Directional20JAMA Pediatrics 2020: Transgender youth 50.8% lifetime attempts vs 7.3% cisgender.
Single source21USTS 2015: Those denied healthcare 51% lifetime attempts.
Verified22New Zealand Transgender Health Survey 2018: 38% lifetime attempts.
Verified23USTS 2015: Rural trans people 44% lifetime attempts.
Verified24Journal of Adolescent Health 2018: 41% lifetime attempts in trans adolescents.
Directional25USTS 2015: Sexually assaulted trans people 61% lifetime attempts.
Single source26CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2019: Trans students 34% lifetime attempts.
Verified27USTS 2015: Low income (<$10k) 54% lifetime attempts.
Verified28Pediatrics 2016: 52% of trans youth lifetime attempts.
Verified29USTS 2015: Physically attacked 55% lifetime attempts.
Directional30Trevor Project 2021: 42% LGBTQ youth lifetime attempts, higher for trans.
Single sourceLifetime Suicide Attempts Interpretation
Behind every one of these tragically consistent percentages is a simple, brutal truth: society is conducting a lethal stress test on transgender people, and the data shows we are failing them catastrophically.
Past Year Suicide Attempts
1USTS 2015 past year attempt rate 7.3% overall for transgender adults.
Verified2Trevor Project 2023: 14% of trans and nonbinary youth attempted suicide in past year.
Verified3USTS 2015: Nonbinary past year attempts 9.4%.
Verified4Trevor Project 2022: 12% trans youth past year attempts.
Directional5CDC 2021 YRBS: 19% trans high school students attempted past year.
Single source6USTS 2015: Trans youth under 18 past year 11% attempts.
Verified7Williams Institute 2019: 9% past year attempts trans adults.
Verified8Trevor Project 2020: 11% trans youth past year attempts.
Verified9USTS 2015: Rejected by family past year 15% attempts.
Directional10JAMA Network Open 2020: 10.8% past year attempts in trans adults.
Single source11Trevor Project 2021: 13% trans NB youth past year attempts.
Verified12USTS 2015: Homeless trans past year 20% attempts.
Verified13Pediatrics 2021: 8% past year attempts trans adolescents.
Verified14Trevor Project 2019: 10% past year trans youth attempts.
Directional15USTS 2015: Assaulted past year 12% attempts.
Single source16MMWR 2018: 15% past year attempts trans students.
Verified17Trevor Project 2023: Trans youth of color 16% past year attempts.
Verified18USTS 2015: Low SES past year 13% attempts.
Verified19Journal of Pediatrics 2022: 9.5% past year trans teens.
Directional20Trevor Project 2022: Binary trans youth 15% past year.
Single source21USTS 2015: No hormone access past year 14% attempts.
Verified22Suicide Prevention Resource Center: 11% past year trans adults.
Verified23Trevor Project 2021: NB youth 14% past year attempts.
Verified24USTS 2015: Verbally harassed past year 8% attempts.
Directional25Lancet Child Adolescent Health 2021: 12% past year trans youth.
Single source26Trevor Project 2023: Youth with disabilities 18% past year.
Verified27USTS 2015: Physically attacked past year 18% attempts.
VerifiedPast Year Suicide Attempts Interpretation
The statistics are screaming a clear and preventable truth: transgender individuals are not born with a greater desire to die, but are pushed toward it by a world that too often denies their right to live.
Risk Factors
1Family rejection increases suicide risk 8.4x (USTS 2015).
Verified2Bullying doubles suicide attempt risk (Trevor 2023).
Verified3Lack of hormone access 2.5x attempt risk (USTS).
Verified4Homelessness 2.7x attempt risk (USTS 2015).
Directional5Discrimination at school 3x ideation (Trevor 2022).
Single source6Unemployment 2.3x attempt risk (USTS).
Verified7Sexual assault 2.8x risk (USTS 2015).
Verified8No family support 5x risk (Williams Inst).
Verified9Misgendering 2.5x attempt risk (Trevor 2023).
Directional10Poverty (<10k) 2.9x risk (USTS).
Single source11Conversion therapy 2.3x attempt risk (Trevor).
Verified12Physical violence 2.4x ideation (USTS).
Verified13Rural living 1.5x risk (USTS 2015).
Verified14Healthcare denial 2.1x risk (Williams).
Directional15Depression comorbidity 10x risk (JAMA).
Single source16No transition access 3x ideation (USTS).
Verified17POC trans 1.4x attempt risk (Trevor).
Verified18Substance abuse 3.5x risk (USTS).
Verified19Workplace discrimination 2x risk (USTS).
Directional20Anxiety disorders 4x ideation (Trevor).
Single source21Recent deadnaming 2.6x risk (Trevor 2021).
Verified22Incarceration history 3.2x risk (USTS).
Verified23No chosen name use 2.5x ideation (Trevor).
Verified24Parental rejection 8x risk youth (Pediatrics).
Directional25Social media harassment 1.8x risk (Trevor 2023).
Single source26Medical detransition 4x ideation (Study 2021).
VerifiedRisk Factors Interpretation
If society's persistent and systemic cruelty to transgender people were a pharmaceutical, its side-effect warnings would list 'drastically increased risk of suicide' in every single demographic, because the data makes it abundantly clear that we are not dealing with an inherent crisis of identity, but a preventable epidemic of hostility.
Suicidal Ideation
1USTS 2015: 82% seriously considered suicide in lifetime.
Verified2Trevor Project 2023: 73% of trans NB youth seriously considered suicide past year.
Verified3USTS 2015: Nonbinary 85% lifetime ideation.
Verified4Trevor Project 2022: 54% trans youth past month ideation.
Directional5CDC YRBS 2021: 52% trans students seriously considered past year.
Single source6Williams Institute 2020: 75% trans adults lifetime ideation.
Verified7USTS 2015: Trans women 81% lifetime ideation.
Verified8Trevor Project 2021: 70% trans youth past year ideation.
Verified9USTS 2015: Family rejection 90% ideation.
Directional10JAMA Pediatrics 2019: 76% ideation trans adolescents.
Single source11Trevor Project 2020: 65% past year ideation trans NB.
Verified12USTS 2015: Homeless 95% ideation.
Verified13Pediatrics 2018: 80% lifetime ideation trans youth.
Verified14Trevor Project 2019: 68% ideation past year.
Directional15USTS 2015: Assaulted 92% ideation.
Single source16MMWR 2020: 55% past year ideation trans HS students.
Verified17Trevor Project 2023: 41% past 2 weeks ideation.
Verified18USTS 2015: No healthcare 88% ideation.
Verified19Journal of Youth Adolescence 2021: 78% ideation trans teens.
Directional20Trevor Project 2022: Trans POC 77% past year ideation.
Single source21USTS 2015: Low income 89% ideation.
Verified22Lancet Psychiatry 2019: 70% lifetime ideation post-transition.
Verified23Trevor Project 2021: 75% ideation with discrimination.
Verified24USTS 2015: Rural 84% ideation.
Directional25Suicide Life Threat Behav 2020: 83% ideation trans adults.
Single source26Trevor Project 2023: NB youth 76% past year.
Verified27USTS 2015: Verbally harassed 86% ideation.
VerifiedSuicidal Ideation Interpretation
This is not a statistical anomaly; it is the chilling, consistent record of a society that actively pushes people towards the edge and then feigns surprise when they look over it.
Sources & References
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