Zimpapers Logo

WASHINGTON. — The suicide rate in the United States has soared by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014 for all age groups between 10 and 74, a report released by a federal authority showed last Friday.

The report by the National Centre for Health Statistics found that 13 Americans out of every 100 000 took their own lives in 2014, compared with 10.5 per 100 000 in 1999.

“The rate of suicide has gone up nearly steadily since 1999,” said Sally Curtin, lead author of the report, adding that the average annual percent increase in suicide rate was about one percent per year from 1999 through 2006 but rose to two percent per year from 2006 to 2014.

The suicide rate among women rose more quickly than among men, yet males continued to account for the majority of deaths in 2014, according to the report.

For men, the biggest rate increases were seen in the middle-age group — males 45 to 64-years-old.

For women, the fastest growing suicide rates during the same period occurred in girls 10 to 14-years-old.

“The increase in rates for the youngest group was striking, tripling to 150 total suicides in 2014,” Curtin told CBS news.

However, the report didn’t identify causes behind the rise in the rising suicide cases. — Xinhua.