India recorded 1.53 lakh suicides in 2020, over 10,000 in farm sector

New Delhi: India recorded 1,53,052 suicides — an average 418 daily — in 2020, with 10,677 of them by persons engaged in farming sector, according to the latest central government data.

The 2020 figures were more in comparison to 2019 when 139,123 suicides were recorded in the country, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) stated in its 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.

A total of 10,677 persons involved in farming sector (consisting of 5,579 farmers or cultivators and 5,098 agricultural labourers) committed suicides during 2020, accounting for seven per cent of total suicide victims (1,53,052) in the country, the report showed.

Out of 5,579 farmer or cultivator suicides, a total of 5,335 were male and 244 were female, it showed.

Out of 5,098 suicides committed by agricultural labourers during 2020, 4,621 were male and 477 were female, it added.

The majority of suicides were reported from Maharashtra (19,909), followed by Tamil Nadu (16,883), Madhya Pradesh (14,578), West Bengal (13,103), Karnataka (12,259), accounting for 13 per cent, 11 per cent, 9.5 per cent, 8.6 per cent and 8 per cent of the total cases, respectively, the data showed.

These five states together accounted for 50.1 per cent of the total suicides reported in the country, while the remainder 49.9 per cent were reported from the remaining 23 states and eight union territories (UTs), the NCRB stated.

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state with 16.9 per cent share of the country’s population, reported a comparatively lower percentage share of suicidal deaths, accounting for only 3.1 per cent of the total suicides, it added.

Delhi, which is the most populous UT, reported the highest number of suicides (3,142) among UTs, followed by Puducherry (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, observing 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 the country during 2020, it showed.  The overall male to female ratio of suicide victims was 70.9 to 29.1, the report stated.