India records over 1.64 lakh suicides in 2021, highest ever in a calendar year: NCRB report

New Delhi: According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) 'Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2021' report, India had more than 1.64 lakh suicide-related deaths in 2021, or over 450 per day, or 18 per hour. These numbers were the highest for any calendar year to date.

Of those who died by suicide, there were nearly 1.19 lakh males, 45,026 females and 28 transgenders,  the data showed.

A sharp rise in such deaths has been noticed in 2020 and 2021 as compared to years before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the data suggested.

In 2020, 1.53 lakh deaths by suicide were recorded across the country, according to the data of NCRB, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

More from India

The report showed that the number of suicide deaths in 2019 was 1.39 lakh, in 2018 it was 1.34 lakh, in 2017 it was 1.29 lakh before it spike over 1.50 lakh-mark in 2020 and 2021.

According to the NCRB, it has been compiling suicide deaths data since 1967 when the country had reported 38,829 such fatalities in the calendar year.

It was in 1984 that the number of suicide deaths crossed the 50,000-mark for the first time in the country and it crossed the 75,000-mark in 1991, the official figures from corresponding time period showed.

However, it was in 1998 that the number of suicide deaths crossed the 1 lakh-mark as 1.04 lakh such fatalities were recorded that year, the figures showed.

There are various causes of suicides like professional or career problems, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss, chronic pain etc, the NCRB said in its annual report for 2021.

The NCRB also said that it collects data on suicides from police recorded suicide cases.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.