Objectives

To measure differences in suicide rates across race/ethnicity, age, and sex groups in Chicago, Illinois, from 2015 to 2021.

Methods

We calculated the incidence rate and annual percentage change in suicides among Asian, Black, Latino/a, and White persons in Chicago. We also analyzed patterns in suicide method across race/ethnicity, age, and sex groups.

Results

Suicides increased significantly among Black males (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 1.20), Black females (IRR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.33), and Latino males (IRR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.38) between 2015 and 2021. Suicides decreased overall among White Chicagoans during this period. A significantly greater proportion of Black males than Black females died by suicide using a firearm (55.79% vs 24.05%; P < .001). Similar results were detected for Latino males and females (32.99% vs 9.09%; P = .001) and White males and females (30.10% vs 11.73%; P < .001).

Conclusions

Black persons in Chicago were the only group to experience significant increases in suicide among both males and females from 2015 to 2021, although specific methods used varied by race/ethnicity and sex group.