NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded 2,905 suicides in 2024, the highest among 53 Indian cities, data released by NCRB has revealed. Bengaluru reported the second highest number of suicides at 2,403, followed by Mumbai with 1,406 cases.But the suicide rate in Delhi (based on projected figures of population) is 13.2 suicides per lakh people. For Bengaluru, it is 16.7 suicides per lakh people; Mumbai it is 11. In 2022, Delhi reported 3,417 deaths by suicide while in 2023, the figure stood at 3,131, showing a downward trend.Of the total 2,905 deaths in 2024, men accounted for 2,078(71.5%), women 825 (28.4%) and transgender persons two (0.1%). Family-related issues emerged as the leading cause behind the suicides, with 675 deaths, followed by marital problems (258 deaths) and unemployment (236 deaths).
A look at the occupational profile of the deceased revealed that 745 of them were unemployed.Students accounted for 378 deaths, while 343 were daily wage workers. Among the 325 self-employed people who died by suicide, as many as 242 owned their own business. This was closely followed by homemakers, who accounted for 315 deaths.The data showed most of those who died by suicide were married. A total of 1,616 people, including 1,162 men and 454 women, were married, accounting for over 55.6% of the cases. There were 821 unmarried victims, including 543 men, 277 women and one transgender person. While 27 were widowed, 55 divorced and 41 separated, the marital status in the remaining cases is unknown.The income data revealed that 1,362 of those who died earned less than Rs 1 lakh annually and 1,258 earned between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh annually, indicating a concentration of cases among lower- and lower-middle-income groups.Only 28 of the people who died by suicide earned over Rs 10 lakh, which made up the smallest portion in the category.Educational backgrounds showed most had studied up to Class XII, with 537 people falling in the category, followed closely by those educated up to Class X, numbering 525. While as many as 383 people had studied up to Class VIII, 319 had completed their graduation and 310 people had received no formal education.
