Teen suicide is considered the voluntary act, the self-killing of a teenager. Although the suicide rate among youth significantly decreased in the mid-1990s, teen suicide deaths remain high in the 15 to 24 age group with 3,971 suicides in 2001 and over 132,000 suicide attempts in 2002, making it the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24.

In the United Kingdom, the teen suicide rate for males has risen consistently since 1989, while that for females has remained largely the same. However, given the overall decline in the suicide rate in the UK, the rise in teen suicide amongst the 15-24 male population has been a considerable cause for concern. More preventive measures have been taken in the last ten years, including increased understanding of the risk factors and causes and spreading information to schools and parents.

In the U.S., male adolescents commit suicide at a rate five times greater than that of female adolescents, although teen suicide attempts by females are three times as frequent as those by males. A possible reason for this is the method of attempted suicide for males is typically that of firearm use that have a greater chance of fatality, while females are more likely to try a different method, such as poison and wrist slashing.

Teen suicide rates vary a lot for different ethnicities and races due to cultural differences. For example the suicide rate for Native Americans in the United States was 19.3 per 100,000, much higher than the overall rate 8.5 per 100,000. The suicide rate in African-American inhabitants has doubled in the last two decades. Also a national survey of high school students conducted in recent years reported that Hispanic students are twice as likely to report an attempted teen suicide as white students.