The National Violent Death Reporting System

Each and every day in the U.S., more than 160 people die as a result of violence due to homicides and suicides.1 These violent deaths constitute an urgent public health problem. Homicide and suicide, taken together, were the fourth leading cause of years of potential life lost in the U.S. in 2014.2 Each year, more than 55,000 people die in the U.S. as a result of violence-related injuries.3 In 2014, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death, claiming more than 42,000 lives1 and resulting in an economic cost estimated to be $53.2 billion, largely associated with lost work productivity.4,5 From 2005 to 2014, the national suicide rate rose for 9 straight years from 10.9 per 100,000 in 2005 to 13.0 per 100,000 in 2014, an increase of more than 18%,6 and now ranks as the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults.7,8 Homicide rates in the U.S. have declined over the long term, but are still a major problem resulting in an economic cost estimated at $26.4 billion.2,5 Among high-income nations, the U.S. historically has the highest homicide rate.9 Homicides disproportionately affect boys and men, adolescents and young adults, and certain racial/ethnic groups, such as non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic American Indian/ Alaska Natives, and Hispanics.10 These groups have not experienced the same level of decline and, in some cases, rates have increased.11 Homicide is the third leading cause of death for 10to 24-year-olds in the U.S. and the leading cause of death for male and female African Americans aged 10–34 years.1 Suicide and homicide are preventable, but to address this problem as efficiently and effectively as possible, practitioners need data that are both timely and provide information that is useful in guiding preventive actions.