The recent suicides of two well-known figures—celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade—underscore a sobering reality: Suicide rates for people in middle age are higher than almost any other age group in the U.S. and rising quickly.

A report released today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that suicide rates for women 45 to 64 increased nearly 60% between 2000 and 2016. For men of the same age the suicide rate increased almost 37% over that time.

No group of women saw a higher suicide rate. Among men, only those 75 and over had higher rates than the 45-to-64 group.

Mr. Bourdain was 61 at the time of his death. Ms. Spade was 55.

Overall, suicide rates in the U.S. increased 30% between 2000 and 2016. A separate CDC analysis released this month found that suicides have risen in almost every state.