South Africa vs United States: Suicide rate

Suicide rate in 2017: 11.2 per 100,000 people in South Africa and 12.8 per 100,000 people in United States, by IHME estimates. In 2017 the value was higher in United States, by 1.7 per 100,000 people, or 1.15 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 100,000 people · IHME

South AfricaUnited StatesWorld

What the numbers say

United States has been higher since 2012, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2017, South Africa ranked 62 and United States ranked 45 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
The world as a whole: 10 per 100,000 people in 2017.

Every year

deaths per 100,000 people · IHME

Year	South Africa	United States	World
2017	11.2	12.8	10
2016	10.9	12.8	10.1
2015	10.8	12.5	10.2
2014	10.8	12.2	10.3
2013	11.1	12	10.5
2012	11.9	12	10.7
2011	12.9	12	11
2010	14.6	11.8	11.2
2009	16.3	11.8	11.4
2008	17.9	11.8	11.6
2007	19.2	11.7	11.7
2006	20.6	11.6	12
2005	21.5	11.5	12.5
2004	22.5	11.3	12.6
2003	23.1	11.4	12.8
2002	23.1	11.3	13
2001	23	11.1	13.4
2000	24.3	10.9	14.1
1999	22.4	10.9	14.5
1998	21.6	11.1	14.7
1997	20.9	11.4	15.1
1996	19.1	11.7	15.4
1995	18.6	12	15.9
1994	18.6	12.1	16.1
1993	18.3	12.1	16
1992	19.2	11.9	15.8
1991	18.6	12.1	15.5
1990	18.6	12.1	15.4

Each country on its own

Good to know

Deaths by suicide in a year, per 100,000 people.
Source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease, via Our World in Data.
Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2017, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

South Africa vs United States

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United States: 1 deaths in 2022