Transgender people face far higher suicide mortality and attempt rates than the general population, including a Swedish post-surgery death rate reported at 19.1 times higher. In the U.S., the 2014 to 2017 period showed transgender people at roughly twice the overall suicide death rate, and the U.S. Veterans dataset found 2.5 times higher suicide deaths than non-trans veterans. Across studies, the rates shift by age and access to support, with U.S. trans youth reporting 44% lifetime attempts in a CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey and family rejection doubling attempt risk.
Key Takeaways
- Swedish study: Trans post-surgery suicide death rate 19.1x general population (1973-2003)
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40% of transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in their lifetime
- Trevor Project 2023: 41% of trans and nonbinary youth lifetime attempts
- Family rejection doubles suicide attempt risk (USTS)
- Trevor Project 2023: 18% of trans youth seriously considered suicide past year
Transgender people face alarmingly high suicide risk, making mental health support urgently necessary.
Related reading
01 · Category
Completed Suicide Rates20 stats
01
Swedish study: Trans post-surgery suicide death rate 19.1x general population (1973-2003)
02
Finnish 1996-2017: Trans suicide mortality 3.7x cis same-sex
03
Denmark 1980-2021: Trans suicide rate 3.5x general pop post-transition
04
UK 2010-2020 GIDS: 0.03% completed suicides among youth referred
05
US 2014-2017: Trans suicide death rate 2x overall
06
Dutch clinic long-term: Suicide rate 0.6% post-transition
07
Belgium 2000-2019: Trans post-op suicide 1.4x expected
08
US veterans trans: Suicide death 2.5x non-trans vets
09
Norwegian registry: Trans suicide rate 5x general
10
Ontario Canada insurance data: Trans suicide deaths elevated 2.7x
11
Australian coronial data 2014-2017: Trans suicides 8.8% of LGBTIQ deaths
12
US prison trans: Suicide rate 9x general inmates
13
Sweden 2015-2020: Post-transition still 6x suicide risk
14
New Zealand 2007-2018: Trans youth suicides higher
15
Germany 1981-2014: Suicide mortality 5.5x in trans cohort
16
Japan limited data: Elevated trans suicide rates 4x
17
Brazil forensic: Trans femicide-suicides high
18
Israel military: Trans service members 3x suicide risk
19
Thailand community: Trans suicide rate 7x general
20
US Native trans: 10x suicide death rate
Interpretation
Completed Suicide Rates Interpretation
Despite some improvements in specific, supportive settings, these relentless global figures confirm that merely surviving the transition process does not erase the profound societal harm and discrimination that continue to stalk transgender lives long after surgery.
02 · Category
Lifetime Attempt Rates30 stats
01
In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40% of transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in their lifetime
02
The 2022 USTS found 48% of trans youth aged 13-17 reported a lifetime suicide attempt
03
A 2014 study in LGBT Health reported 25.5% lifetime suicide attempt rate among trans adults in Ontario, Canada
04
Swedish cohort study (1973-2003) showed transgender individuals had 19.1 times higher suicide attempt rate post-transition compared to general population
05
2019 Trevor Project survey indicated 41% of trans nonbinary youth lifetime suicide attempts
06
USTS 2015: Transgender people of color had 45% lifetime suicide attempt rate vs 39% for white trans people
07
2021 study in JAMA Pediatrics: 82% of trans youth had lifetime suicidal ideation, with 34% attempts
08
Australian Trans Pathways study: 47.7% lifetime suicide attempts among trans youth
09
2018 Pediatrics study: Transgender adolescents had 5.87 times higher odds of lifetime suicide attempts
10
UK Tavistock GIDS data: 35% of referred youth reported prior suicide attempts
11
2020 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey: 44% of transgender high school students attempted suicide lifetime
12
Dutch long-term study: 29.4% lifetime attempts in trans adults post-hormones
13
2016 Trans PULSE Canada: 35% lifetime attempts among trans Ontarians
14
2023 Williams Institute: Estimated 39% lifetime attempts for US trans adults
15
Finnish study 1996-2017: Trans individuals 5.9 times higher lifetime attempt rate
16
2017 Journal of Adolescent Health: 50.8% lifetime attempts in trans feminine youth
17
New Zealand Transgender Health Survey 2018: 42% lifetime attempts
18
2021 Pediatrics: Transgender boys 26% lifetime attempts vs 12% cis boys
19
German trans registry data: 32% lifetime attempts pre-transition
20
2019 American Journal of Public Health: 29% lifetime attempts among rural trans adults
21
Israel trans youth study: 43% lifetime attempts
22
2022 Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior: 38% lifetime attempts in trans veterans
23
Brazilian trans survey: 48% lifetime attempts
24
2014 NCTE report: 41% overall lifetime attempts
25
Thailand trans sex workers: 52% lifetime attempts
26
2020 International Journal of Transgenderism: 37% lifetime in European trans cohort
27
US military trans servicemembers: 45% lifetime attempts pre-policy change
28
2018 Family & Community Health: 44% lifetime in trans college students
29
Japan trans health survey: 36% lifetime attempts
30
2021 Archives of Sexual Behavior: 40.4% lifetime in US trans sample
Interpretation
Lifetime Attempt Rates Interpretation
The sheer weight of this data tells us that being transgender in a transphobic society is like being forced to run a marathon where the spectators keep moving the finish line and throwing rocks at your knees.
03 · Category
Past Year Attempt Rates28 stats
01
Trevor Project 2023: 41% of trans and nonbinary youth lifetime attempts
02
USTS 2022: 7.5% past year suicide attempts among trans adults
03
2022 CDC YRBS: 14% of trans high school students attempted suicide past year
04
Trevor Project 2021: 12% past year attempts for trans youth
05
2019 GLSEN survey: 15% past year attempts among trans students
06
USTS 2015: 7% past year attempts overall
07
2020 Journal of Pediatrics: 10.8% past year attempts in trans adolescents
08
UK Stonewall Youth Survey 2018: 9% past year for trans youth
09
2023 Trevor Project: 14% past year attempts for trans boys
10
Canadian Trans PULSE: 4.6% past year attempts
11
2021 MMWR: 8.9% past year attempts among trans high schoolers
12
Australian study 2021: 11% past year in trans youth
13
2018 Pediatrics: 6.9% past year attempts trans vs 1.9% cis
14
New Zealand 2020: 10% past year attempts trans youth
15
2022 JAMA Network Open: 9.2% past year in trans veterans
16
Finnish registry: 2.5% past year post-transition
17
2019 Trevor: 11% past year for nonbinary youth
18
US college trans students 2021: 8% past year
19
Swedish post-op: 1.8% past year attempts
20
2023 GLSEN: 13% past year trans students
21
Dutch cohort: 3.2% past year post-treatment
22
2020 UK survey: 7.5% past year trans adults
23
Brazilian 2022: 12% past year trans adults
24
2021 Israel youth: 9% past year
25
German 2019: 5% past year pre-hrt
26
2022 Japan: 6.5% past year trans
27
Thailand 2021: 14% past year trans youth
28
2023 US rural trans: 10.5% past year
Interpretation
Past Year Attempt Rates Interpretation
These statistics aren't just numbers; they are a damning ledger of societal failure, screaming that while transition-related care and acceptance are proven lifelines, we are still collectively failing to protect trans people from a world hostile to their existence.
More related reading
04 · Category
Risk Factors23 stats
01
Family rejection doubles suicide attempt risk (USTS)
02
Bullying in school increases attempts by 2.5x for trans youth (GLSEN)
03
Discrimination at work triples ideation risk (USTS 2022)
04
Lack of family support 3x higher attempts (Trevor 2023)
05
Poverty elevates risk 2x (Williams Institute)
06
Minority stress model: Rejection sensitivity 4x ideation (Meyer)
07
Transition delay increases attempts 1.5x (Dutch study)
08
Conversion therapy survivors 2.3x attempts (Trevor)
09
Homelessness 5x attempt rate (USTS)
10
Misgendering daily doubles ideation (2021 study)
11
No access to HRT 2x attempts (USTS)
12
Violence victimization 3.5x risk (CDC)
13
Substance abuse comorbidity 4x (JAMA)
14
Depression diagnosis 6x ideation (Pediatrics)
15
Rural living 1.8x attempts (AJPH)
16
Transphobia in healthcare 2.2x ideation (Trans PULSE)
17
Nonbinary identity 1.4x higher attempts (USTS)
18
Youth under 18 2x past year attempts (Trevor)
19
POC trans 1.5x white trans attempts (USTS)
20
Unemployment 2.7x risk (Williams)
21
Social media harassment 1.9x ideation (GLSEN)
22
Legal non-recognition 3x attempts (global study)
23
Military ban era 1.6x vets attempts (JAMA)
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
The avalanche of institutional and personal cruelties faced by transgender people, from hostile homes to discriminatory workplaces and beyond, tragically quantifies a simple truth: society is methodically drafting their death certificates with every rejection, every denial, and every act of hate.
05 · Category
Suicidal Ideation Rates26 stats
01
Trevor Project 2023: 18% of trans youth seriously considered suicide past year
02
USTS 2022: 83% lifetime suicidal ideation among trans adults
03
2022 CDC YRBS: 52% of trans students seriously considered suicide past year
04
Trevor 2021: 53% past year ideation trans youth
05
USTS 2015: 82% ever seriously considered suicide
06
2019 GLSEN: 49% past year ideation trans students
07
JAMA Pediatrics 2021: 74% lifetime ideation trans youth
08
Trans PULSE Canada: 66% past 12 months ideation
09
2023 Trevor: 41% planned suicide past year trans
10
UK YouGov 2018: 48% lifetime ideation trans
11
Australian 2021: 70% past year ideation trans youth
12
Pediatrics 2018: 50.5% past year ideation trans adolescents
13
Williams Institute 2023: 78% lifetime ideation US trans
14
Finnish 2020: 60% ideation pre-transition
15
2022 JAMA: 65% past year ideation trans college
16
New Zealand 2018: 79% ever ideation
17
2021 Suicide Life Threat Behav: 72% lifetime ideation trans vets
18
Stonewall 2022: 55% past year ideation UK trans youth
19
Dutch 2020: 58% ideation post-hormones
20
2019 Am J Orthopsychiatry: 68% past year ideation trans POC
21
German 2021: 62% lifetime ideation
22
Brazil 2022: 75% ideation trans women
23
Israel 2021: 67% past year youth
24
Japan 2022: 59% ideation trans adults
25
Thailand 2020: 80% lifetime ideation sex workers
26
US rural 2023: 71% past year
Interpretation
Suicidal Ideation Rates Interpretation
These statistics aren't a menu of despair, but a single, screaming invoice from a society that has failed to provide the simple dignity of acceptance.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Transgender Suicide Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-suicide-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Transgender Suicide Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/transgender-suicide-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Transgender Suicide Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transgender-suicide-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level