The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released a report entitled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ for the year 2015. This study reveals some startling data regarding suicide rates across different states of India. A total of 1,336,623 suicides have been reported nationwide, with certain states displaying significantly higher figures than others. Interestingly, two of the country’s most populous states show divergent trends, raising questions about the factors behind these regional differences.
Suicide Tally Across Indian States in 2015
Maharashtra recorded the highest number of suicides in the year under review. With 16,970 suicides, the state topped the list. Closely following Maharashtra is Tamil Nadu, which reported 15,777 suicides in the same year. These two states together accounted for a significant chunk of the total national tally.
Contrarily, Uttar Pradesh, despite being the most populous state in the country, did not conform to the expected pattern. It was placed eleventh in terms of the highest number of suicides, with a count of just 3,902. Bihar, another densely populated state, also emerged as an outlier. With a surprisingly low tally of 516 suicides, it stood well below many smaller states in the ranking.
Youth and Middle-Age Suicide Rates
The NCRB report further dissected the data based on age categories. It found that one-third of the suicides in 2015 were committed by young adults below 30 years old. Another third of the total number came from individuals aged between 30 and 45. This revelation shows an alarming trend of suicides among the younger and middle-aged population in India.
HTML Table showing some facts
| States | Suicides |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 16,970 |
| Tamil Nadu | 15,777 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 3,902 |
| Bihar | 516 |
The Unexpected Outliers: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Given the high population of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it was expected that these states might witness a higher rate of suicides. However, the data unveiled a different scenario. Uttar Pradesh, despite its high population, had only the 11th highest suicide count. Similarly, Bihar also reported a significantly low suicide rate. The reasons behind this divergence from the expected pattern warrant further investigation.
The NCRB report provides a revealing snapshot of the incidence of suicide across India in 2015. But beyond the raw numbers, it urges deeper exploration into the underlying causes contributing to these regional variations. It also underscores the need for strategies to address this public health issue, particularly among younger and middle-aged adults.
