Student Suicide Rate Is Higher Than Population Growth Rate In India: Report
A new report based on the data collected from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has shown that in India the student suicide rate is rising at a disturbing rate, which is higher than the population growth and overall suicide trends. The report entitled ‘Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India’ was released during the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024.
The report highlighted that overall suicidal death rates have increased in India by 2% annually whereas the rate of student suicides has surged by 4%. However, the report mentioned a potential underreporting of the cases.
The report said that over the past decade, while the population of individuals from 0-24 years decreased from 582 to 581 million, the number of student suicides has gone up from 6,654 to 13.044.
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As per the UNICEF report, one in seven young people from ages 15 to 24 in India is experiencing poor mental health with symptoms of depression and disinterest. While only 41% of the surveyed sought support while dealing with mental health challenges.
As per the IC3 Institute report, annually over 13,000 students die by suicide in India. The data shows that in comparison to 2021, the total suicides went up in 2022 by 4.2%. Genderwise, the male student suicide rate is higher than female student suicide counts. In the last 10 years, a significant increase was observed in female suicidal tendencies, with an overall 61% increase while in the case of males, a 50% increase was observed.
When it comes to state-wise numbers, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are the three states with highest numbers of student suicides with 1/3rd of country’s total suicide count. Rajashtan which is infamous for Kota coaching city is ranked at 10th place with 571 student suicides.
