CHAPTER – 2 SUICIDES IN INDIA Each suicide is a personal tragedy that Rate of suicides has been calculated using prematurely takes the life of an individual and projected population for the non-census years has a continuing ripple effect, dramatically whereas for the census year 2011, the affecting the lives of families, friends and population in the Census 2011 Report was communities. Every year, more than 1,00,000 used. people commit suicide in our country. There are various causes of suicides like A total of 1,39,123 suicides were reported in professional/career problems, sense of the country during 2019 showing an increase of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, 3.4% in comparison to 2018 and the rate of mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial suicides has increased by 0.2% during 2019 loss, chronic pain etc. NCRB collects data on over 2018. [LIST–2.1] The incidence and rate suicides from police recorded suicide cases. of suicides during 2009-2019 is presented in Table-2.1. LIST–2.1 Number of Suicides, Growth of Population and Rate of Suicides during 2015 - 2019 Mid-Year Projected Sl. Total Number of Rate of Suicides*** Year Population* No. Suicides (Col.3/Col.4) (in Lakh)+ (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) 1 2015 1,33,623 12,591.1 10.6 2 2016 1,31,008 12,739.9 10.3 3 2017 1,29,887 13091.6# 9.9 4 2018 1,34,516 13233.8# 10.2 5 2019 1,39,123 13376.1# 10.4 * Source: The Registrar General of India. # Source: Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections (November, 2019), National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. + One Lakh = 0.1 Million *** Rate of Suicides = Incidence of suicides per one lakh (1,00,000) of population. • As per data provided by States/UTs. Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2019 [194] Number and Percentage Share of Suicides in States/UTs The State/UT and City wise information on the remaining 24 States and 7 UTs. Uttar the incidents of suicides, its percentage share Pradesh, the most populous State (16.9% in total suicides and rate of suicides during the share of country population) has reported year are presented in Table–2.2. comparatively lower percentage share of suicidal deaths, accounting for only 3.9% of Majority of suicides were reported in the total suicides reported in the country. Maharashtra (18,916) followed by 13,493 suicides in Tamil Nadu, 12,665 suicides in The States which have witnessed West Bengal, 12,457 suicides in Madhya significantly higher number of suicidal deaths Pradesh and 11,288 suicides in Karnataka during the year 2017 to 2019 are presented in accounting for 13.6%, 9.7%, 9.1%, 9.0% and the LIST–2.2. Each of these States have 8.1% of total suicides respectively. These 5 continuously accounted for about 8.0% or States together accounted for 49.5% of the more of the total suicides reported in the total suicides reported in the country. The country from 2017 to 2019. remaining 50.5% suicides were reported in FIGURE–2.1 State/UT wise Major Percentage Share of Suicides in States during 2019 Uttar Pradesh Odisha 3.3% Andhra Pradesh 3.9% 4.6% Chhattisgarh Other States/UTs 5.5% 16.1% Gujarat 5.5% Maharashtra Telangana 5.5% 13.6% Kerala 6.1% Tamil Nadu Karnaktaka 9.7% West Bengal 8.1% Madhya Pradesh 9.1% 9.0% • As per data provided by States/UTs. Note: OTHER STATES/UTs include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, A & N Island, Chandigarh, D & N Haveli, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2019 [195] FIGURE–2.2 STATE/UT – WISE TOTAL NUMBER OF SUICIDES DURING 2019 Number of Suicides upto 50 51 to 300 301 to 2000 2001 to 10000 Above 10000 Map Powered by DevInfo, UNICEF • As per data provided by States/UTs. Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2019 [196] LIST–2.2 States with Higher Percentage Share of Suicides during 2017 to 2019 Sl. Year No. 2017 2018 2019 1 Maharashtra (13.6%) Maharashtra (13.4%) Maharashtra (13.6%) 2 Tamil Nadu (11.1%) Tamil Nadu (10.3%) Tamil Nadu (9.7%) 3 West Bengal (9.2%) West Bengal (9.9%) West Bengal (9.1%) 4 Madhya Pradesh (9.1%) Madhya Pradesh (8.8%) Madhya Pradesh (9.0%) 5 Karnataka (9.0%) Karnataka (8.6%) Karnataka (8.1%) • As per data provided by States/UTs. Chandigarh (18.1%), Arunachal Pradesh Delhi, which is the most-populous UT, has (15.2%) and Jammu & Kashmir (13.9%) reported the highest number of suicides (2,526) [Table–2.3, Figure-2.3]. among UTs, followed by Puducherry (493). Remaining UTs together accounted for 2.2% of Rate of Suicides — Trend in States/UTs total suicides in the country. A total of 22,390 suicides were reported in the 53 mega cities of Rate of suicides i.e. the number of suicides the country during the 2019. per one lakh population, has been widely accepted as a standard yardstick for The States and UTs which have reported comparison. All India rate of suicides was 10.4 significant percentage increase in suicides in during the year 2019. A & N Islands reported 2019 over 2018 were Bihar (44.7%), Punjab the highest rate of suicide (45.5) followed by (37.5%), Daman & Diu (31.4%), Jharkhand Sikkim (33.1), Puducherry (32.5), Chhattisgarh (25.0%), Uttarakhand (22.6%) and Andhra (26.4) and Kerala (24.3) [Figure-2.4]. The Pradesh (21.5%) while highest percentage details of States/UTs which have recorded decrease was reported in Lakshadweep higher rate of suicides during 2017 to 2019 are (100%), Himachal Pradesh (21.1%), given in LIST–2.3. FIGURE–2.3 State/UT-wise Percentage Variation in Suicides during 2019 over 2018 60.0 44.7 37.5 40.0 31.4 25.0 21.5 22.6 18.2 13.9 12.7 20.0 11.5 10.6 10.4 8.3 5.8 5.3 4.8 4.6 3.9 1.2 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.4 - 1.8 - 5.9 2.2 2.4 2.9 - - - - - - 4.5 - -20.0 11.4 - 13.9 15.2 - - 18.1 - 21.1 - -40.0 Percentage Variation -60.0 -80.0 GOA BIHAR SIKKIM ASSAM ODISHA KERALA PUNJAB TRIPURA MANIPUR GUJARAT MIZORAM HARYANA DELHI (UT) DELHI NAGALAND RAJASTHAN KARNATAKA NADU TAMIL TELANGANA JHARKHAND MEGHALAYA D & N HAVELI & N D DAMAN & DAMAN DIU CHANDIGARH A & NISLANDS PUDUCHERRY WEST BENGAL WEST UTTARAKHAND LAKSHADWEEP MAHARASHTRA CHHATTISGARH UTTAR PRADESH UTTAR JAMMU & JAMMU KASHMIR ANDHRA PRADESH ANDHRA MADHYA PRADESH MADHYA HIMACHAL PRADESH HIMACHAL States / UTs ARUNACHAL PRADESH ARUNACHAL • As per data provided by States/UTs. Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2019 [197] FIGURE–2.4 Rate of Suicides in States/UTs during 2019 A & N ISLANDS 45.5 SIKKIM 33.1 PUDUCHERRY 32.5 CHHATTISGARH 26.4 KERALA 24.3 TELANGANA 20.6 TRIPURA 18.2 TAMIL NADU 17.8 D & N HAVELI 17.1 KARNATAKA 17.1 GOA 16.8 MAHARASHTRA 15.4 MADHYA PRADESH 15.1 HARYANA 14.5 WEST BENGAL 13.0 States / UTs DELHI (UT) 12.7 ANDHRA PRADESH 12.4 GUJARAT 11.2 CHANDIGARH 11.1 DAMAN & DIU 10.9 ODISHA 10.5 HIMACHAL PRADESH 8.0 PUNJAB 7.9 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 7.4 ASSAM 6.9 MEGHALAYA 6.1 MIZORAM 5.9 RAJASTHAN 5.8 National Average 10.4 UTTARAKHAND 4.6 JHARKHAND 4.4 UTTAR PRADESH 2.4 JAMMU & KASHMIR 2.1 NAGALAND 1.9 MANIPUR 1.9 BIHAR 0.5 LAKSHADWEEP 0.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 Rate • As per data provided by States/UTs. Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2019 [198] FIGURE–2.5 STATE/UT - WISE SUICIDE RATE DURING 2019 Suicide Rate All India Average 10.4 Note: Suicide Rate means Number of Suicides per One Lakh population. upto 2 3 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20 Above 20 • As per data provided by States/UTs. Map Powered by DevInfo, UNICEF Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2019 [199] LIST–2.3 States/UTs with Higher Suicide Rate during 2017 to 2019 Year 2017 2018 2019 Puducherry 40.1 A & N Islands 41.0 A & N Islands 45.5 A & N Islands 35.6 Puducherry 33.8 Sikkim 33.1 Sikkim 32.9 Sikkim 30.2 Puducherry 32.5 Kerala 22.6 Kerala 23.5 Chhattisgarh 26.4 Chhattisgarh 22.5 Telangana 21.2 Kerala 24.3 National Rate (9.9) National Rate (10.2) National Rate (10.4) • As per data provided by States/UTs. Causes of Suicides (5.5%), ‘Love Affairs’ (4.5%), ‘Bankruptcy or Indebtedness’ (4.2%), ‘Failure in Examination’ ‘Family Problems’ and ‘Illness’ were the and ‘Unemployment’ (2.0% each), major causes of suicides which accounted for ‘Professional/Career Problem’ (1.2%) and 32.4% and 17.1% of total suicides ‘Property Dispute’ (1.1%) were other causes respectively during 2019. ‘Drug Abuse/ of suicides [Table–2.4]. Addiction’ (5.6%), ‘Marriage Related Issues’ FIGURE–2.6 Percentage Share of Various Causes of Suicides During 2019 Impotency/ Causes Not Known, Fall in Social Infertility, 0.3% 10.3% Reputation, 0.4% Other Causes, 11.1% Suspected/Illicit Relation , 0.5% Poverty, 0.8% Death of Dear Family Problems, Person, 0.9% 32.4% Property Dispute, 1.1% Illness , 17.1% Professional/Career Problem, 1.2% Unemployment, 2.0% Failure in Examination, 2.0% Bankruptcy or Indebtedness, 4.2% Drug Marriage Related Abuse/Alcoholic Love Affairs, 4.5% Issues, 5.5% Addiction, 5.6% • As per data provided by States/UTs.