NEWS
Suicide falls to lowest rate in decades among New Mexicans
Though public health interventions and discussions are helping, suicide is still a leading cause of death statewide
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Suicide rates dropped 19% in New Mexico between 2024 and 2025, according to preliminary data released by the New Mexico Department of Health on Thursday.
This data marks the lowest single-year suicide rate in decades at 19.2 people per 100,000.
鈥淚 think the open discussion around (suicide) we've seen has reduced stigma,鈥� said Kevin Peine, the executive director of NMDOH鈥檚 Centers for Public Health. 鈥淧eople are more open to talking about it. People are more open to asking for help and I think more comfortable approaching (other) people and saying, 鈥楬ey, what鈥檚 going on in your life?鈥欌��
While Peine said that more candid conversations about mental health likely impacted rates, he also pointed to other public health interventions such as the 988 suicide hotline and an increase in funding from the state Legislature. Over the last six years, lawmakers have appropriated $843.6 million to behavioral health initiatives in New Mexico, according to Legislative Finance Committee data.
However, Peine warned that it is difficult to definitively pinpoint any specific initiative as the cause for the major decrease.
Staff are still breaking down the data to better understand where this decrease manifested by analyzing age, race, geographic region and other demographic factors. But Peine did note that the rate decreased similarly among men and women, an insightful statistic given that women typically have lower rates than their male counterparts.
Though not yet finalized, the data show rates haven鈥檛 been this low since 2009, Peine said.
Despite recent decreases, New Mexico has consistently had a suicide rate 1.5 times higher than the national average since 1995, according to NMDOH data. Overall, suicide remains the ninth-leading cause of death for all New Mexicans and the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 12 to 17.
Additionally, most suicide deaths in 2024 involved a firearm. Further education about gun safety and responsibility is needed to reduce rates, especially among young adults, Peine said.
鈥淒espite us seeing a drop, (suicide) still remains a substantial public health burden for the state,鈥� Peine said.
Gillian Barkhurst is a general assignment reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.
