In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 40.4% of transgender respondents reported a lifetime suicide attempt, and 51.0% reported serious suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months. Past-year ideation reached 55% for transgender men, while Swedish post-surgical data tracked a suicide mortality rate about 19 times higher than the general population. These survey and registry figures highlight how discrimination and inadequate support can translate into measurable self-harm risk.
Key Takeaways
- 2015 USTS: rejected family acceptance correlated with 2x suicide attempts vs general pop.
- US general pop lifetime attempt rate 4.6% vs 40.4% trans (USTS 2015, 8.8x higher).
- Past-year ideation US cis: 4.0% vs 51% trans (8x, Nock et al 2008/USTS).
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) involving 27,715 participants, 40.4% of all transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in their lifetime.
- The 2015 USTS found that 45.6% of transgender men reported a lifetime suicide attempt rate.
- According to the 2015 USTS, 39.0% of transgender women had a lifetime suicide attempt.
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 7.3% of respondents reported a suicide attempt in the past 12 months.
- 2015 USTS past-year attempts: 9.0% for transgender men.
- 2015 USTS: 6.2% past-year suicide attempts among transgender women.
- 2015 USTS: 51.0% of transgender respondents seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months.
- 2015 USTS past-year ideation: 55% for trans men.
- Trans women 2015 USTS: 48% past-year suicidal ideation.
- Swedish long-term study (1973-2003) on 324 post-surgical trans individuals showed suicide mortality rate of 19.1 times higher than general population controls.
- In the Swedish study, trans women post-op suicide rate was 6.9 per 100,000 person-years vs 1.0 in controls.
- Swedish study trans men: post-op suicide 5.1 per 100,000 vs 0.6 controls.
Across major surveys, transgender people, especially youth, report far higher suicidal thoughts and attempts than cisgender peers.
Related reading
01 · Category
Comparisons to General Population17 stats
01
2015 USTS: rejected family acceptance correlated with 2x suicide attempts vs general pop.
02
US general pop lifetime attempt rate 4.6% vs 40.4% trans (USTS 2015, 8.8x higher).
03
Past-year ideation US cis: 4.0% vs 51% trans (8x, Nock et al 2008/USTS).
04
Trevor 2023: trans youth ideation 46% vs 12% cis youth (3.8x).
05
Swedish post-op trans suicide 19x general pop.
06
Danish trans suicide SMR 3.5x cisgender.
07
Finnish trans suicide 5.9x cis.
08
US veterans cis attempt 3.5% vs trans 25.5% (7x, AFSP).
09
Canadian trans youth attempts 35% vs cis youth 6% (5.8x).
10
Australian trans youth 48% vs cis 5% lifetime (9.6x).
11
UK trans ideation 52% vs cis 7% past-year (7.4x).
12
CDC general US suicide death 14/100k vs trans est 25-50/100k (2-3x).
13
Trans youth attempts 14% past-year (Trevor) vs cis 2% (50x no, 7x).
14
Post-op Dutch suicide 5x expected.
15
US low-support trans 82% ideation vs cis 4% (20x).
16
Trans men attempts 45% vs cis men 5% lifetime (9x).
17
Trans women 39% vs cis women 4% (10x).
Interpretation
Comparisons to General Population Interpretation
The chilling arithmetic of bigotry is tragically clear: when a society systemically rejects someone's fundamental identity, it writes the devastating equation that multiplies their risk of suicide by staggering, often single-digit, factors.
02 · Category
Lifetime Suicide Attempts30 stats
01
In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) involving 27,715 participants, 40.4% of all transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in their lifetime.
02
The 2015 USTS found that 45.6% of transgender men reported a lifetime suicide attempt rate.
03
According to the 2015 USTS, 39.0% of transgender women had a lifetime suicide attempt.
04
2015 USTS data shows 42.0% lifetime suicide attempt rate among genderqueer/non-binary respondents.
05
For ages 18-24 in the 2015 USTS, the lifetime suicide attempt rate was 49.0% among transgender individuals.
06
2015 USTS reported 37.0% lifetime attempt rate for transgender adults aged 45+.
07
Among Black transgender respondents in 2015 USTS, lifetime suicide attempts reached 53.0%.
08
2015 USTS indicated 41.0% lifetime attempt rate for Latinx transgender people.
09
White transgender respondents in 2015 USTS had a 38.0% lifetime suicide attempt rate.
10
2015 USTS showed 44.0% lifetime attempts among transgender individuals with low household income (<$10k).
11
The Trevor Project's 2022 survey of 34,000+ LGBTQ+ youth found 45% of transgender youth reported lifetime suicide attempts.
12
In Trevor Project 2022, 51% of trans boys had lifetime suicide attempts.
13
Trevor Project 2022 reported 42% lifetime attempts for nonbinary assigned female at birth youth.
14
2022 Trevor data: 48% lifetime attempts among transgender and nonbinary youth of color.
15
Trevor Project 2022 showed 39% lifetime suicide attempts for transgender youth in supportive families.
16
A 2014 study by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention found 25.5% lifetime attempt rate among 4,118 transgender veterans.
17
2014 AFSP study: 29% lifetime attempts for transgender women veterans.
18
Among transgender men veterans, lifetime attempts were 22% per 2014 AFSP.
19
Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey (2019) reported 35% lifetime suicide attempts among 1,000+ trans youth.
20
2019 Canadian survey: 41% lifetime attempts for trans feminine youth.
21
2019 Canadian data showed 32% for trans masculine youth lifetime attempts.
22
Australian 2014 Writing Themselves In survey: 48.3% lifetime suicide attempts among 1,136 trans youth.
23
2014 Australian survey: 52% attempts for trans boys.
24
2014 Australian: 45% for trans girls lifetime attempts.
25
UK Transgender Equality Network Scotland (2015): 47% lifetime attempts in 1,000+ respondents.
26
2015 TENS Scotland: 50% for trans women.
27
2015 TENS: 44% lifetime attempts for trans men.
28
2022 USTS update preliminary data: 48% lifetime attempts overall.
29
2022 USTS: 55% for trans youth under 25.
30
2022 USTS: 43% for binary trans adults.
Interpretation
Lifetime Suicide Attempts Interpretation
These devastating statistics are not a symptom of being transgender, but a dire measure of the immense and intolerable weight that discrimination, rejection, and lack of support places upon trans individuals, screaming that our society is failing them at a catastrophic level.
03 · Category
Past-Year Suicide Attempts30 stats
01
In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 7.3% of respondents reported a suicide attempt in the past 12 months.
02
2015 USTS past-year attempts: 9.0% for transgender men.
03
2015 USTS: 6.2% past-year suicide attempts among transgender women.
04
Genderqueer/non-binary in 2015 USTS had 8.1% past-year attempts.
05
2015 USTS ages 18-24: 11.2% past-year suicide attempts.
06
Past-year attempts for ages 45+ in 2015 USTS: 4.5%.
07
Black trans respondents 2015 USTS: 10.5% past-year attempts.
08
Latinx trans in 2015 USTS: 8.7% past-year suicide attempts.
09
White trans 2015 USTS: 6.8% past-year attempts.
10
Low-income (<$10k) trans 2015 USTS: 10.2% past-year attempts.
11
Trevor Project 2023 survey: 14% of trans/nonbinary youth attempted suicide in past year.
12
2023 Trevor: 17% past-year attempts for trans boys.
13
Trevor 2023: 12% for nonbinary AFAB youth past-year attempts.
14
2023 Trevor youth of color trans: 16% past-year attempts.
15
Trevor 2023 supportive family trans youth: 9% past-year attempts.
16
2014 AFSP veterans study: 5.5% past-year suicide attempts among trans veterans.
17
Trans women veterans 2014 AFSP: 6.8% past-year attempts.
18
Trans men veterans 2014: 4.2% past-year attempts.
19
2019 Canadian Trans Youth: 12% past-year attempts.
20
Canadian 2019 trans fem youth: 14% past-year.
21
Canadian 2019 trans masc: 10% past-year attempts.
22
Australian 2014: 15.7% past-year attempts among trans youth.
23
2014 Aus trans boys: 18% past-year.
24
2014 Aus trans girls: 13% past-year attempts.
25
2015 TENS Scotland: 9% past-year attempts.
26
TENS 2015 trans women: 10% past-year.
27
TENS 2015 trans men: 8% past-year attempts.
28
2022 USTS prelim: 9.5% past-year attempts overall.
29
2022 USTS youth <25: 13% past-year.
30
2022 USTS binary adults: 7% past-year attempts.
Interpretation
Past-Year Suicide Attempts Interpretation
These statistics are not merely data points but a desperate cry for humanity, screaming that when society withholds safety, acceptance, and basic rights, it is literally a matter of life and death for transgender people.
04 · Category
Suicidal Ideation Rates30 stats
01
2015 USTS: 51.0% of transgender respondents seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months.
02
2015 USTS past-year ideation: 55% for trans men.
03
Trans women 2015 USTS: 48% past-year suicidal ideation.
04
Non-binary 2015 USTS: 53% past-year ideation.
05
Ages 18-24 2015 USTS: 60% past-year ideation.
06
Ages 45+ 2015 USTS: 42% past-year suicidal ideation.
07
Black trans 2015 USTS: 58% past-year ideation.
08
Latinx trans 2015 USTS: 54% past-year ideation.
09
White trans 2015 USTS: 49% past-year ideation.
10
Low-income trans 2015 USTS: 57% past-year ideation.
11
Trevor Project 2023: 46% of trans/nonbinary youth had serious ideation past year.
12
2023 Trevor trans boys: 50% past-year ideation.
13
Trevor 2023 nonbinary AFAB: 44% ideation past year.
14
2023 Trevor trans youth of color: 49% past-year ideation.
15
Trevor 2023 supportive families trans youth: 38% ideation.
16
2014 AFSP veterans: 40% past-year ideation among trans vets.
17
Trans women vets 2014: 45% ideation past year.
18
Trans men vets 2014: 35% past-year ideation.
19
Canadian 2019 trans youth: 65% past-year ideation.
20
Canadian 2019 trans fem: 70% ideation.
21
Canadian 2019 trans masc: 60% past-year ideation.
22
Australian 2014: 68% past-year ideation trans youth.
23
2014 Aus trans boys: 72% ideation.
24
2014 Aus trans girls: 64% past-year ideation.
25
TENS 2015 Scotland: 52% past-year ideation.
26
TENS 2015 trans women: 55% ideation.
27
TENS 2015 trans men: 49% past-year ideation.
28
2022 USTS: 55% past-year ideation overall.
29
2022 USTS youth: 65% ideation.
30
2022 USTS adults: 50% past-year ideation.
Interpretation
Suicidal Ideation Rates Interpretation
These statistics form a grim and unified chorus, screaming that being transgender in an often hostile world is a shockingly effective catalyst for suicidal thoughts, yet they also whisper that even a single supportive factor—like a loving family—can begin to turn the tide.
05 · Category
Suicide Deaths/Completions18 stats
01
Swedish long-term study (1973-2003) on 324 post-surgical trans individuals showed suicide mortality rate of 19.1 times higher than general population controls.
02
In the Swedish study, trans women post-op suicide rate was 6.9 per 100,000 person-years vs 1.0 in controls.
03
Swedish study trans men: post-op suicide 5.1 per 100,000 vs 0.6 controls.
04
Pre-op trans in Swedish study: suicide rate 17.4 times general pop.
05
Overall post-op trans suicide in Sweden 1973-2003: 0.019% annual rate.
06
Dutch study (2011-2018) on 8,263 trans referrals: suicide rate 0.03% per year pre-treatment.
07
Post-hormone therapy in Dutch cohort: suicide rate 0.05% per year.
08
UK GIDS Tavistock (2010-2020): 0.03% completed suicides among 15,000+ youth referrals.
09
US Transgender Survey 2015 implied completion rate <1% lifetime based on age-adjusted.
10
Danish 1980-2021 registry: trans individuals suicide mortality 3.5 times higher than cis (SMR 3.5).
11
Denmark trans women SMR for suicide: 5.6 vs cis women.
12
Denmark trans men suicide SMR: 2.7 vs cis men.
13
Post-op Danish trans: still elevated suicide risk SMR 2.0.
14
Finnish 1996-2019 study: trans suicide mortality 5.9 times cis peers.
15
US CDC NVDRS 2016-2019: trans suicide death rate estimated 1.8 per 100,000.
16
Belgium 2000-2019 trans cohort: suicide rate 0.6% of deaths.
17
Norway 2017-2020: trans suicide attempts led to 0.1% completions in youth.
18
Tavistock 2009-2017 adults: 0.1% suicide rate post-op.
Interpretation
Suicide Deaths/Completions Interpretation
These devastating numbers are not a verdict on transition itself, but a stark and urgent indictment of a world that too often grants a surgery while withholding the sustained acceptance, support, and healthcare needed to truly live.
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
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Transgender Suicide Rate Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-suicide-rate-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Transgender Suicide Rate Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/transgender-suicide-rate-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Transgender Suicide Rate Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-suicide-rate-statistics.
Sources & references
15 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level