India's Suicide Crisis: 1.7 Lakh Deaths in 2023 with Family Problems and Illness as Leading Causes

A total of 171,418 suicides were documented across India in 2023, marking a slight increase of 0.3 percent compared to the previous year's figures, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.

The report identifies family problems and illness as the two primary causes behind these tragic incidents. Maharashtra led the country with 22,687 reported cases, followed by Tamil Nadu (19,483), Madhya Pradesh (15,662), Karnataka (13,330), and West Bengal (12,819). Together, these five states accounted for 49 percent of all suicides nationwide.

The remaining 51 percent of cases were distributed across 23 states and eight Union territories. Notably, Uttar Pradesh, despite being India's most populous state comprising 17 percent of the national population, recorded a relatively lower proportion of suicides at just 5.3 percent of the country's total.

Analysis of causative factors reveals that family problems were responsible for 31.9 percent of suicides, while illness accounted for 19 percent. Other significant contributors included substance abuse and alcoholism (7 percent), marriage-related issues (5.3 percent), love affairs (4.7 percent), and financial bankruptcy (3.8 percent).

Among female victims, housewives represented a substantial 51.6 percent (24,048 out of 46,648), constituting approximately 14 percent of all suicide victims. The employment sector breakdown showed government servants accounted for 1.1 percent (1,915) of victims, while private sector employees represented 7.2 percent (12,275). Public sector undertaking employees made up 1.4 percent (2,327) of the total cases.

Demographically, the most vulnerable age groups were young adults between 18 and 30 years (32.8 percent) and those aged 30 to 45 years (32.5 percent). Among children under 18, the primary causes of suicide were family problems (2,568), love affairs (1,724), and examination failure (1,303).

In Union Territories, Delhi reported the highest number of suicides (3,131), followed by Puducherry (465). Across the country's 53 megacities, a total of 26,095 suicides were recorded in 2023.

Several regions showed concerning increases in suicide rates compared to 2022, with Lakshadweep experiencing a 50 percent rise, followed by Ladakh (46.2 percent), Bihar (31.9 percent), and Himachal Pradesh (27 percent). Conversely, significant decreases were observed in Mizoram (35.9 percent), Nagaland (26.5 percent), and Arunachal Pradesh (14.1 percent).

The NCRB utilizes the rate of suicides (number per one lakh population) as a standard comparative measure. In 2023, India's overall suicide rate was 12.3. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded the highest rate at 49.6, followed by Sikkim (40.2), Kerala (30.6), Puducherry (28.0), and Telangana (27.7).