The suicide rate among girls aged 10 to 14 in the United States more than quadrupled between 2007 and 2024, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers analyzing federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System found that the gender gap in suicide deaths for early adolescents has nearly closed, driven by a sharp drop in male rates and a simultaneous increase among females.
Shifting Suicide Rates Among U.S. Children Aged 10 to 14
According to federal data analyzed in the JAMA Pediatrics study, the suicide rate for girls ages 10 to 14 rose from 0.51 deaths per 100,000 in 2007 to 2.28 per 100,000 by 2024. Over the same broad timeframe, the rate for boys nearly doubled, moving from 1.20 to 2.38 per 100,000. However, recent trends show a divergence in trajectory between the genders.
In 2017, boys in this age group experienced nearly double the suicide rate of girls. By 2024, that gap had almost disappeared, with the rate for boys sitting only 4% higher than the rate for girls. Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 14 in the United States.
Demographic Shifts Across Racial and Geographic Groups
The narrowing gender gap appeared across multiple racial groups, including Black, Hispanic, and White children. Data for 2024 showed that the suicide rate for Black girls slightly exceeded the rate for Black boys. Geographically, researchers found that girls living in urban and suburban areas registered a higher suicide rate than boys in those same regions by 2024, though the trend remained less clear in rural areas.
The study did not pinpoint specific causes for these changing trajectories. Researchers noted that future investigations should examine which risk factors declined among boys while remaining steady or increasing among girls, particularly in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators emphasized that suicide prevention strategies for young adolescents must account for risk factors affecting both males and females.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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