EL PASO, Tx., March 23, 2026: The most recent data shows that the suicide rate among El Pasoans has been increasing since 2017, jumping from 9.7 per 100,000 El Pasoans in 2016 to 14.23 in 2023. According to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the rising rates of suicide, 17.6% of El Pasoans are experiencing some sort of adult mental distress.
Between 2010 and 2014, the percentage of El Pasoans experiencing mental distress was steady at 11.2% of El Paso’s population. In 2015 it started to increase, first from 11.9% to 17.6% in 2022. It has remained at around 17.6% since 2023.
Across Texas, the suicide rate was 14.3 per 100,000 Texans in 2023, which is an increase of 28% over the last two decades. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Texans aged 10 to 24. Rural and white man have the highest rates of suicide among adults. White adult Texans are over twice as likely to commit suicide than other racial groups. Oklahoma and New Mexico have higher suicide rates than Texans across all demographics.
Across the country, the leading cause of suicides in 2024 was with a firearm. Around 57% of the national suicides were with a gun.
El Paso has seen a steady increase of gun deaths since 2016. In 2016 the rate per 100,000 for people who died from a self-inflicted gunshot was 7.57. In 2023, the rate of gun deaths had increased to 11.43.
The total deaths in El Paso also jumped to 855.37 deaths per 100,000 El Pasoans in 2019 from 722.67 in 2018. After reaching a high of 983.66 in 2021, El Paso’s death rate was 845.91 per 100,000 in 2023. Prior to 2018, El Paso’s death rate per 100,000 hovered around 700.
Concerning researchers is the rise of suicides among young adults. Researchers found that young Black and Hispanic men across America account for around 85% of the recent suicide increase. Texas is among the emerging “hotspots” for suicide increase since 2014. Young adult suicide rates in Texas only trails Georgia’s rate among the states experiencing increased suicide rated among their young adults.
Recent news headlines have led with suicides at the El Paso jails. From 2015 to 2020, there were no more than two jail suicides reported annually. In 2023 and 2024 there were no jail suicides reported. However, since 2025 four jail suicides have been reported. One suicide has been reported at the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Camp East Montana Detention Center this year. There are also reports of multiple suicide attempts as well as emergency calls about self-harm emergencies at the ICE facility.
Rising suicide rates in Texas among young people is a combination of limited access to mental healthcare and high rates of depression from social stressors like economic worries and other concerns. Access to guns has also been linked to the increase in suicides among the young.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available by calling or texting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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