Geography of loss—a global look at the uneven toll of suicide

This is part of Science's special series on unraveling suicide.

Suicide is a worldwide problem, but its effects are uneven. Although suicide rates—all rates noted here are annual deaths per 100,000 people—are rising in some countries, including the United States, most countries are seeing declines, for reasons that include restrictions on access to lethal means and improved mental health care. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most countries do not collect detailed data on suicide; data for many countries here were drawn from rates estimated by organizations such as WHO and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease project.