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Thursday, Jul. 3, 2025

Is Oklahoma’s suicide rate ranked among the top 10 states?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

According to 2022 CDC data, Oklahoma has the ninth-highest suicide rate at 21.4 per 100,000 people, 1.5 times the national rate of 14.2.

That is a 17% increase since 2013, and the driving force behind the 20% increase in the overall gun death rate during that same time period, according to Johns Hopkins University research.

A 2023 study on gun deaths in the U.S. found that 58% of gun deaths were suicides and 55% of suicides involved a gun.

Oklahoma had the seventh highest rate of gun suicides at 13.4 per 100,000 people, with gun suicides accounting for 63% of the 857 suicides in 2022. Across the U.S., the rate of gun suicides was 8.2 per 100,000 people.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Oklahoma.

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