More than one lakh people in India die by suicide every year, according to the 2021 Accidental Deaths & Suicides report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). 

In 2021, the number was 1.64 lakh, a 7.2% increase from 2020. The number of suicides per 1 lakh of the population stood at 12, the highest ever since 1967, which is the earliest year with data on suicides, as per The Hindustan Times.

At 22,207, Maharashtra reported the majority of suicides, while Andaman & Nicobar islands saw the highest rate of suicide at 39.7%. 

The most vulnerable age groups were people aged 18-30 years and 30-45 years, which accounted for 34.5% and 31.7% of suicides respectively. Daily wage workers reported the biggest increase in death by suicide followed by salaried professionals and students.

The major causes of suicides were family problems (33.2%) and illnesses (18.6%). Other causes were drug and alcohol abuse, relationship issues, financial problems, issues related to work, and so on, which worsen the mental state. 

Many studies have noted that 90% of people who die by suicide have a mental disorder and experts have identified affective disorders to be one of the top causes.

It has been seen that a large percentage of those who die by suicide have an undiagnosed, untreated mental health illness,” said psychologist Kamna Chhibber to the Indian Express.

What can be done? 

Experts point out the urgent need for an integrated suicide prevention plan along with interventions at every level to curb the rise. 

In an article published in The Lancet Psychiatry, author Lakshmi Vijayakumar outlines considerations for a national suicide prevention strategy. She also suggests setting up timely interventions provided at the right time in addition to raising awareness.