New Delhi: India recorded 1,53,052 suicides – an average of 418 daily – in 2020, according to the latest central government data. In 2019, there were 1,39,123 suicides recorded in India, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) stated in an annual report. Suicide rate (per lakh population) also increased from 10.4 in 2019 to 11.3 last year, the NCRB, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated.
Majority of suicides, 19,909 in total, were reported in Maharashtra. The other states that registered high number of suicides were Tamil Nadu (16,883), Madhya Pradesh (14,578), West Bengal (13,103) and Karnataka (12,259). These states accounted for 13 per cent, 11%, 9.5%, 8.6% and eight per cent of the total suicides registered in India.
These five states together accounted for 50.1 per cent of the total suicides in India. The remaining 49.9 per cent were reported from the remaining 23 states and eight Union Territories (UTs), the NCRB stated.
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Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with 16.9 per cent share of the country’s population. It reported a comparatively lower percentage share of suicidal deaths. UP accounted for only 3.1 per cent of the total suicides, the NCRB said in the report.
Delhi, which is the most populous UT, reported the highest number of suicides (3,142) among UTs. It was followed by Pondicherry (408), the report showed.
A total of 23,855 suicides were reported in the 53 mega cities of the country in 2020, the report showed. The NCRB observed that the suicide rate in cities (14.8) was higher as compared to all-India suicide rate (11.3).
According to the report, ‘family problems’ (33.6 per cent), ‘marriage-related problems’ (5 per cent) and ‘illness’ (18 per cent) together accounted for 56.7 per cent of total suicides in India during 2020. The overall male to female ratio of suicide victims was 70.9 to 29.1, the report stated.
Every year over 70,000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide across the globe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Suicides are preventable, the WHO says, noting that preventive measures could be taken at community and individual levels and across sectors.
