Poverty and Unemployment cause suicides in India

The new report released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) entitled: Statistical Year Book, India 2013 (url: http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/SYB2013/index1.html) provides suicide related data due to various causes across states and UTs (url: http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/SYB2013/ch38.html). The suicide data available in this report is actually supplied by the National Crime Records Bureau’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India.

Suicides due to poverty, unemployment and bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status

Key findings:

·         Of the total 397335 number of suicides committed in India between 2009 and 2011, 8854 were caused by bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status (percentage share: 2.23%), 8316 were caused due to poverty (share: 2.09%) and 7027 were caused due to unemployment (share: 1.77%). 

·         Illness compelled 81765 suicides between 2009 and 2011 and it's percentage share in total suicides during the same period was 20.58%.

·         Family problems pushed 94847 persons to commit suicide between 2009 and 2011 and it's percentage share in total suicides during the same period was 23.87%.

·         At the national level, total number of suicides caused by bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status increased from 2709 in 2010 to 2983 in 2011. Total number of suicides due to poverty has declined from 3047 in 2010 to 2282 in 2011. Total number of suicides due to unemployment has increased from 2222 in 2010 to 2333 in 2011 (see graph).

·         The leading states where bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status caused suicides were Andhra Pradesh (2713), Maharashtra (2162), Kerala (1353) and Karnataka (602) between 2009 and 2011. In Andhra Pradesh, suicides under this category jumped from 711 in 2010 to 1114 in 2011.

·         The leading states where poverty caused suicides were Andhra Pradesh (4299), Tamil Nadu (873), Maharashtra (769) and Karnataka (718) between 2009 and 2011. In Andhra Pradesh, suicides under this category declined from 1533 in 2010 to 1252 in 2011.

The leading states where unemployment caused suicides were West Bengal (1396), Tamil Nadu (994), Maharashtra (834) and Gujarat (765) between 2009 and 2011. In West Bengal, suicides under this category rose from 462 in 2010 to 506 in 2011.