NCRB 2022 DATA: Housewives, the jobless, students account for most suicides in Uttar Pradesh
The NCRB data places U.P. on the 31st spot with a suicide rate of 3.5, which underscores a more positive outlook compared to 25 other states and five UTs, including Delhi.
Housewives (19.95%), unemployed individuals (18.85%) and students (12.96%) account for most suicides in Uttar Pradesh among a total of 8176 suicides reported in the state as calculated from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 data.
The calculation of data revealed that the remaining 48.24% comprised people from different professions, including self-employed individuals (12.36%), salaried employees (8.659%), business class individuals (7.98%), daily wagers (5.99%), those involved in the farming sector (5.05%) and others.
According to figures, Uttar Pradesh reported 1631 suicides by housewives, 1541 by the unemployed, 1060 by students, 1011 by self-employed, 708 by the salaried class people, 653 by businesspersons, 490 by daily wagers and 413 suicides by those involved in the farming sector.
Dr Manini Srivastava, assistant professor of the department of psychology and head of the Institute of Women’s Studies, said high suicide rates among housewives can be attributed to factors such as social isolation, domestic violence, marital discord, financial stress, and a lack of emotional support. She stated many face the empty nest syndrome during midlife.
Addressing mental health awareness, she emphasised that promoting support systems, and encouraging open communication within families are essential to mitigating these issues.
She further explained that the high suicide rates among the unemployed may be influenced by factors such as financial stress, a sense of hopelessness and social isolation.
She added that the lack of a stable income and the associated challenges can contribute to mental health issues, underscoring the importance of support networks and mental health services for those facing unemployment.
Further comparisons with other states reveal that the number of housewives, students, and unemployed individuals committing suicide in U.P. is lower than in several other states, such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
Furthermore, Uttar Pradesh ranks 13th in suicides by daily wagers (490 instances), ninth in suicides by professionals (708), and seventh in suicides by those involved in the farming sector (413 suicides).
The overall suicide rate of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) stands at a modest 3.5, positioning the state on the 31st spot among 28 states and eight union territories (UT), as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 data. This rate underscores a more positive outlook compared to 25 other states and five UTs, including Delhi.
In absolute numbers, according to NCRB figures, U.P. ranks 11th in the country, with fewer reported suicides than states like Maharashtra (22,746), Tamil Nadu (19,834), Madhya Pradesh (15,386), Karnataka (13,606), West Bengal (12,669), Kerala (10,162), Telangana (9,980), Gujarat (9,002), Andhra Pradesh (8,908), and Chhattisgarh (8,446).
A careful analysis reveals that smaller states and Union Territories such as Sikkim (43.1), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (42.8), Puducherry (29.7), Kerala (28.5), Chhattisgarh (28.2), Telangana (26.3), Tamil Nadu (25.9), Karnataka (20.2), Goa (19.2), Maharashtra (18.1), Madhya Pradesh (17.9), Tripura (17.3), Dadar Haveli and Daman and Diu (17.1), Andhra Pradesh (16.8), and Delhi (16.2), exhibit significantly higher suicide rates.
Among all states and Union Territories, only Bihar (702 suicides with a rate of 0.6), Manipur (26 suicides with a rate of 0.8), Nagaland (49 suicides with a rate of 2.2), Jammu and Kashmir (323 suicides with a rate of 2.4), and Lakshadweep (two suicides with a rate of 2.9) report lower suicide rates. The total number of suicides reported across all states and Union Territories is 170,924, with an overall rate of 12.4 suicides.
The suicide rate is calculated by comparing the total number of incidents with the per lakh population. For example, with U.P.’s estimated population of 23.409 crore, the suicide rate is calculated by dividing the total number of suicides (8,176) by 2,340.9.
The maximum number of 4,248 farmers taking their own lives was reported in Maharashtra, followed by Karnataka (2,392), Andhra Pradesh (917), Tamil Naidu (728), Madhya Pradesh (641), and Chhattisgarh (496).