Number of suicides in ’24 22.7% higher than in 2019

FOr every 100 people who died in accidents in bharat in 2024, 36.5 died by felo-de-se. This ratio is bring down than 38.6 in 2023 and the Covid-era crown of sir thomas more than 40 in 2020 and 2021. The latest decline, however, does not mean India’s suicide burden has returned to its pre-pandemic level.According to the 2024 edition of the National Crime Records Bureau’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report, released on Wednesday, 1,70,746 people died by suicide in 2024, down marginally from 1,71,418 in 2023. The suicide rate, or suicides per hundred thousand people, fell from 12.3 to 12.2. This is still well above the 2019 rate of 10.4.In absolute terms, the number of suicides in 2024 was 22.7% higher than in 2019.The reason the ratio of suicides to accidental deaths fell more sharply in 2024 is that accidental deaths rose at a much faster pace. India recorded 4,67,857 accidental deaths in 2024, up 5.3% from 4,44,104 in 2023. This is the highest absolute number of accidental deaths recorded in year till date since 1967. To be sure, between 2019 and 2024, suicides increased by 22.7%, while accidental deaths increased by 11.1%. In other words, the post-pandemic rise in suicides has been faster than the increase in accidental fatalities, even after the jump in accidents in 2024.Reported suicide rates remain very uneven across statesSuicide rates vary sharply across states and Union territories. Among major states, Kerala had the highest suicide rate at 30.2, followed by Telangana at 28.6, Chhattisgarh at 26.0 and Tamil Nadu at 25.9. Bihar, at 1.0, and Uttar Pradesh, at 3.8, were among the lowest. However, these differences should be read with caution. NCRB data is based on information furnished by state and Union territory police, and large inter-state differences can reflect reporting practices as well as underlying social and economic conditions.The national decline in suicides in 2024 was also not uniform. Bihar reported a 44.4% increase in suicides over 2023, although from a low base. Telangana saw a 3.7% increase, Tamil Nadu 2.5%, Assam 5%, and West Bengal 0.9%. On the other hand, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh reported declines.The profile of suicide victims points to economic vulnerabilityFamily problems remained the single largest reported cause of suicides in 2024, accounting for 33.5% of all cases. Illness was the second largest cause at 17.9%, followed by drug abuse or alcoholic addiction at 7.6%, marriage-related issues at 5%, love affairs at 4.6%, and bankruptcy or indebtedness at 4.4%. There has been a 15% rise in suicides due to bankruptcy or indebtedness compared to 2023.The occupational profile gives a clearer indication of vulnerability. Daily wage earners accounted for 31% of all suicide victims in 2024, far higher than any other occupational category. Housewives accounted for 13%, self-employed persons 10.5%, professionals and salaried persons 9.9%, unemployed persons 8.7%, students 8.5%, and persons engaged in the farming sector 6.2%. To be sure, profession-wise data only shows the occupation of the person who died by suicide and should not be read as the cause of suicide.The economic and educational profile points in the same direction. Almost 63% of suicide victims had an annual income of less than ₹1 lakh, and another 31.6% had an income between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh. Only 0.6% had an annual income of ₹10 lakh or more.Accidental deaths were driven by traffic, sudden deaths and climate-linked causesTraffic accidents remained the biggest cause of accidental deaths in 2024. They accounted for 1,99,443 deaths, or 42.6% of all accidental deaths. Of these, road accidents alone caused 1,75,142 deaths. Two-wheeler riders accounted for 48.3% of road accident victims, followed by SUV/car/jeep occupants at 13.6%. Over-speeding was recorded as the cause of 61.2% of road accidents and 1,01,649 deaths.But the rise in accidental deaths in 2024 was not only about roads. Deaths classified as “sudden deaths” rose 19.5% to 76,024. Within this category, heart attack cases rose from 35,715 in 2023 to 38,596 in 2024. Deaths due to forces of nature also saw a sharp rise. They increased 22.6%, from 6,444 in 2023 to 7,903 in 2024. Lightning remained the largest natural cause, accounting for 2,825 deaths. Heat or sun stroke deaths more than doubled, from 804 in 2023 to 1,832 in 2024.