with the lowest suicide rate is Latin America. China is the only country in the world where the rate of suicide by women matches that of men, with statistics even showing a slightly higher number of female cases. Between 1999 and 2006, in the United States, suicide was the third leading cause of death in adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and the fourth leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 14 years. As of 2011, suicide increased in this age group, becoming the second cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years, below homicide statistics and above those of accidents. Geographically within the United States, western states have higher rates of suicide. Per 100,000 people, Montana is ranked first, Alaska ranked second, and Wyoming is third. There may be a link between these states and firearm regulations, which make access to guns easier, as statistics show firearm suicides in states with the highest rates of gun ownership are 3.7 times higher for men, and 7.9 times higher for women. These are often rural areas without heavily populated urban communities (which brings social pressure stressors), but may indicate a lack of accessibility to medical and psychological health assistance in these remote areas. Sex In the United States, males are four times more likely to die by suicide than females, although more women than men report suicide attempts and self-harm with suicidal intentions. Male suicide rates are far higher than females in all age groups (the ratio varies from 3:1 to 10:1). In other western countries, males are also much more likely to die by suicide than females (usually by a factor of 3–4:1). It was the 8th leading cause of death for males, and 19th leading cause of death for females. Excess male mortality from suicide is generally lower in non-Western nations. In eight countries, including China with about one-fifth of the world population, the rate of male mortality from suicide is lower than that for females, with females more likely to die by suicide by a factor of 1.3–1.6 Race and sexual orientation In 2003, in the United States, whites and Asians were nearly 2.5 times more likely to kill themselves than were blacks or Mexicans. In the eastern portion of the world (primarily in Asian or Pacific-Island countries) the numbers of reported suicides is growing every year. The likelihood of suicide