Suicide rates in New Mexico, long among the highest in the nation, decreased 19% between 2024 and 2025, according to provisional data released Thursday by the state Health Department.
State health officials can’t yet point to a single reason for the decrease, but it may be an indication that education and prevention measures are paying off, said Kevin Peine, executive director of the Centers for Public Health at the New Mexico Department of Health.
Despite the “encouraging data,” Peine said there’s still a lot of work to be done. Suicide remained the ninth-leading cause of death for all New Mexicans — and the second leading cause of death for New Mexico youth aged 12 to 17 — in 2025. Most of the suicide deaths that year involved use of a firearm.
“Even though this rate appears to be the lowest rate since 2009, there is volatility on these rates over time, and so it’s not a time to take your foot off the gas,” he said.
Mountain West states have long had higher suicide rates than other parts of the county, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health have attributed the pattern to a variety of geographic and cultural factors, including isolation, easy access to firearms and inadequate mental health infrastructure.
New Mexico is part of the pattern. In 2024 — the latest data available from the CDC — the state had the fourth-highest suicide rate in the U.S., trailing only Alaska, Wyoming and Montana. Some 532 New Mexicans died by suicide that year.
Since the state Health Department’s data remains provisional, Peine said researchers can’t yet make comparisons between New Mexico and nationwide trends, although he noted ruggedly rural areas in Western states can increase suicide risk.
“In rural or frontier areas where people are isolated or living further apart, having a sense of community and coming together to provide support — reach out and say, ‘Do you need anything?’ — can have a tremendous impact,” he said.
New Mexico has implemented a series of policy changes aimed at expanding access to behavioral healthcare and driving down the state’s suicide rate. For instance, the Legislature recently funded a program that will bring suicide prevention materials to senior centers throughout the state. Several school-based programs do similar work to prevent suicide among youth.
Peine said the results of the 2025 New Mexico Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act — a major piece of reform legislation that tasks the state Administrative Office of the Courts with coordinating development of regional behavioral health plans — might also aid in suicide prevention efforts. A state commission in July approved the regional plan for Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties, which emphasized expansion of behavioral health crisis services.
The state Health Department also provides suicide prevention resources, including giving away free gun locks to improve safe firearm storage.
“Suicide is preventable, and you can help save a life by learning the warning signs,” Gina DeBlassie, Cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Health, said in a news release. “Talking openly about suicide can help reduce stigma and suicidal ideation while letting people know you care.”
Margaret O’Hara reports on issues affecting healthy communities in New Mexico. Her work is funded by a grant from Anchorum Health Foundation. Anchorum will not have any role in editorial decisions. The New Mexican and its Public Service Journalism Fund retain full editorial control. Philanthropically funded stories by The New Mexican are made available to all readers without a paywall.
