# What profession has the lowest suicide rate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 1999, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900 "1999-08-28T21:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 1999, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/1 "1999-08-28T21:06:00Z")
What proffesion has the lowest suicide rate? ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 1999, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/2 "1999-08-28T21:47:00Z")
Rulers of countries? Sure they get assassinated a lot but not many of them commit suicide in office. Granted there is not a lot of them around the percentage of the whole group that commit suicide in a given time frame has got to be lower then most professions. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 1999, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/3 "1999-08-28T23:06:00Z")
## I have heard that the professional fellatio-receivers of northern Cameroon have a very low suicide rate. Tim “My hovercraft is full of eels.” ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 1999, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/4 "1999-08-28T23:12:00Z")
I always heard it was dentists. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/5 "1999-08-29T01:29:00Z")
Yeah, dentists sure don’t want to die. They’re afraid of suddenly being on the receiving end of their practice. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/6 "1999-08-29T01:35:00Z")
Hmm, I always heard dentists had the **highest** suicide rate. Something to do with nobody liking them. * * * Never regret what seemed like a good idea at the time. ---
**Author:** ![heatherlee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@heatherlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heatherlee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/7 "1999-08-29T03:25:00Z")
lol NOT MINE thats for sure! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/8 "1999-08-29T03:58:00Z")
I’ve read that it is clergymen (and women). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/9 "1999-08-29T04:17:00Z")
Blue collar workers in general, Construction in particukar. I **KNOW** you said professional. Peace, mangeorge * * * Work like you don’t need the money… Love like you’ve never been hurt… Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased) ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/10 "1999-08-29T04:19:00Z")
True Messiahs. ---
**Author:** ![TerryTerrific](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@TerryTerrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerryTerrific)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/11 "1999-08-29T04:45:00Z")
Q) What profession has the lowest suicide rate? A) How about being Pope? ++ Ask me no questions … and I will tell you no lies. * * * Terence in Marietta, GA _ **Be someone’s hero** _ ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/12 "1999-08-29T06:10:00Z")
## “particukar” —mg Why didn’t you fix _that_ one for me, Nick? 🙂 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/13 "1999-08-29T08:12:00Z")
Astronauts have the lowest suicide rate, though they do get high on occasions, followed by a spirling decline, leaving them in a great depression. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/14 "1999-08-29T10:37:00Z")
I wonder what the suicide rate for nuns is? ---
**Author:** ![Pooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Pooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pooch)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/15 "1999-08-29T11:27:00Z")
I had a counselor that offed himself. I often wondered if it was something I said. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/16 "1999-08-29T13:14:00Z")
An interesting question, Daniel. At the other end of the scale, you can find the answers to **highest** suicide rate in Cecil’s Mailbag: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msuicide.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msuicide.html) I don’t know about **lowest** , but I’ll see what I can find. I suspect the data won’t be meaningful. You might be able to compare two specific professions, anyone compiling statistics will have necessarily determined a fixed number of professions to be included. The professions suggested by Torgo and funnee, for instance, would probably not have been chosen as categories, but would have been lumped in “miscellaneous other.” Ain’t it fascinatin’ how many people read this as “highest” suicide rate? and isn’t it interesting how many “I read somewhere” and “I heard” we got, with incorrect answers? A good reminder to take what the teeming millions tell you with some salt. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/17 "1999-08-29T19:17:00Z")
Cliff divers, fire eaters, sword swallowers, stunt drivers, mountain climbers, and bullfighters. At least none of the deaths are proven conclusively to be suicides. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 1999, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/18 "1999-08-29T20:34:00Z")
My guess would be Cruise Ship Raters…you know, those people whos job it is to go on cruises, rate the food and service, etc. MAN is that a great gig or what??? * * * An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 1999, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/19 "1999-08-30T03:39:00Z")
Prozac quality control tester. * * * Live a Lush Life Da Chef ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 1999, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900/20 "1999-08-30T16:33:00Z")
Presidents of the United States. Ain’t a single suicide amongst them. * * * Chaim Mattis Keller [ckeller@schicktech.com](mailto:ckeller@schicktech.com) “Sherlock Holmes once said that once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the answer. I, however, do not like to eliminate the impossible. The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it that the merely improbable lacks.” – Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-profession-has-the-lowest-suicide-rate/2900.md?page=2)