China News Service, February 14 (Xinhua) according to US media reports, data show that after two consecutive years of decline, the number of suicides in the United States will rise in 2021, almost equal to the record high in 2018.

  The number of suicides in the U.S. has been climbing for decades, peaking at 48,344 in 2018, according to The New York Times.

Many expected the pandemic to lead to a spike in suicides, but in 2020, suicides fell for the second year in a row.

This decline appears to end in 2021.

  According to data recently released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48,183 people committed suicide in 2021, 45,979 in 2020, and 47,511 in 2019.

  Between 2018 and 2021, the suicide rate for African Americans will increase by about 19%, the suicide rate for Hispanics will increase by 6.8%, and the suicide rate for Asians will increase slightly by 1.5%.

The CDC said the roughly 36 percent increase in the suicide rate among young African-Americans ages 10 to 24 warrants "special attention."

  American Indian or Alaska Natives had the highest suicide rate of any group at 28.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 people and experienced the largest relative percentage increase between 2018 and 2021 at 26%. 

  The only group that saw a decline in suicide rates was non-Hispanic whites, whose suicide rate fell nearly 4 percent over the period.

  The CDC cites various reasons for the rise in suicide rates, including personal, professional and financial problems, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

  According to the CDC, “Suicide is a complex problem associated with multiple risk factors, such as relationships, work or school, financial problems, as well as mental illness, substance abuse, social isolation, historical trauma, barriers to health care, and easy access to deadly tools etc."

  The agency added, "As the United States continues to grapple with the short- and long-term effects of COVID-19, vigilance in prevention efforts is critical, especially among disproportionately affected groups, where long-term effects may exacerbate pre-existing suicide risks Inequality."