Objective: to identify gender differences in suicide mortality in Northeastern Brazil. Methods: the deaths from suicide recorded in the Mortality Information System were analyzed. The Chi-square (x2) for independence and odds ratio tests were used. The time trend was evaluated by the Joinpoint method. Results: in the period studied there were 27,101 suicide deaths in the Northeast, with a predominance of the male gender (79.5%). Adolescent women, with high schooling, widows, and divorcees are more prone to suicide than men. The male gender is more likely to use firearms and hanging, while the female gender uses more smoke, fire and flames and self-intoxication to commit the act. The most significant increase in mortality was among men (3.1%; p<0.05). Conclusion: there was a greater prevalence and tendency to increase suicide among men, as they use more lethal means to commit the act compared to women.