Maharashtra reported the highest number of suicides among all the States, followed by Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, in 2021, a year that recorded 1,64,033 such cases— a 7.2-per cent increase compared to 2020—across the country, according to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Professional and career-related problems, a sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss and chronic pain are the main reasons behind incidents of suicide in the country, the report said.
“Majority of suicides were reported in Maharashtra (22,207), followed by 18,925 suicides in Tamil Nadu, 14,965 suicides in Madhya Pradesh, 13,500 suicides in West Bengal and 13,056 suicides in Karnataka, accounting for 13.5 per cent, 11.5 per cent, 9.1 per cent, 8.2 per cent and 8 per cent of total suicides respectively,” the report said.
These five States together accounted for 50.4 per cent of the suicides reported in the country.
The remaining 49.6 per cent cases were reported from the 23 other States and eight Union Territories.
Uttar Pradesh, the most populous State (with a 16.9 per cent share of the country’s population), reported a comparatively lower percentage share of suicidal deaths, accounting for only 3.6 per cent of the suicides reported in the country.
Delhi, the most-populous Union Territory, reported the highest number of suicides (2,840) among the UTs, followed by Puducherry (504).
A total of 25,891 suicides were reported in the 53 mega cities of the country in 2021.
The rate (the number every lakh) of suicides has increased by 6.2 per cent in 2021 in contrast to the previous year. The all-India rate of suicides was 12 in 2021.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported the highest rate of suicide (39.7), followed by Sikkim (39.2), Puducherry (31.8), Telangana (26.9) and Kerala (26.9).
The NCRB report said as many as 1.73 lakh people lost their lives in around 4.22 lakh traffic accidents in the country in 2021 with Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest number of deaths in such mishaps at 24,711 deaths followed by Tamil Nadu which recorded 16,685 casualties. The number of traffic accidents was 3,68,828 in 2020 across the country.
These traffic accidents comprise 4,03,116 road accidents, 17,993 railway accidents and 1,550 railway crossing accidents. They caused 1,55,622, 16,431 and 1,807 deaths respectively during 2021.
The maximum increase in number of traffic accident cases in States from 2020 to 2021 was reported in Tamil Nadu (from 46,443 to 57,090) followed by Madhya Pradesh (from 43,360 to 49,493), Uttar Pradesh (from 30,593 to 36,509), Maharashtra (from 24,908 to 30,086) and Kerala (from 27,998 to 33,051). These three States accounted for 14.2 per cent, 9.6 per cent and 9.5 per cent of total deaths in traffic accidents respectively. The total number of accidental deaths has increased by 18.8 per cent (from 1,46,354 to 1,73,860) in 2021 over 2020.
A total of 4,03,116 road accident cases were reported in 2021. Road accident cases in the country have increased from 3,54,796 in 2020 to 4,03,116 in 2021. The fatalities in road accidents have increased by 16.8 percent - from 1,33,201 in 2020 to 1,55,622 in 2021.
Generally road accidents have caused more injuries than deaths, but in Mizoram, Punjab, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, road accidents caused more deaths than injury.
In Mizoram, 64 road accidents caused 64 deaths and injuries to 28 persons; in Punjab, 6,097 road accidents caused 4,516 deaths and injuries to 3,034 persons; in Jharkhand, 4,728 road accidents caused 3,513 deaths and injuries to 3,227 persons; and in Uttar Pradesh, 33,711 road accidents caused 21,792 deaths and injuries to 19,813 persons, as per the report.