Delhi topped death by suicide charts in 2024 despite 7% dip, shows NCRB data

Four metropolitan cities accounted for around 31.5% of the total suicides in the country, with Delhi followed by Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai.

Delhi reported the highest number of suicides, at 2,905, among 53 mega cities in the country in 2024, despite marking a decline of over 7% from the previous year, according to reports shared by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2024.

The data showed that Delhi had recorded 3,131 suicides a year before, in 2023, which marked a decline of about 7.2% in suicides in 2024. (HT file photo)

To be sure, the NCRB describes a “mega city” as one that has a population of over a million people.

According to NCRB data, four metropolitan cities accounted for around 31.5% of the total suicides in the country, with Delhi followed by Bengaluru, which clocked 2,403 suicides, Chennai, which clocked 1,525 suicides and Mumbai, which clocked 1,406 suicides.

Further, the data showed that Delhi had recorded 3,131 suicides a year before, in 2023, which marked a decline of about 7.2% in suicides in 2024.

According to the report, Delhi had a population of 16.3 million, Bengaluru 8.5 million, Chennai 8.7 million and Mumbai 18.4 million, taken from the 2011 Census.

The report listed marital problems, familial disputes, illnesses and unemployment as the key reasons for deaths by suicide in Delhi in 2024.

The report also profiled the suicide victims. It stated that most of the suicide victims were men, who accounted for 2,078, followed by women, who accounted for 825, and transgender persons accounted for the remaining two. Of the 825 women who died by suicide, 315 were homemakers, 160 were unemployed persons and 152 were students.

Among men who died by suicide, most were unemployed, daily-wage earners, students and unmarried persons, the report stated.

Accidental deaths

In 2024, Delhi clocked a total of 3,722 accidental deaths, the report stated.

The maximum numbers of accidental deaths were reported in Mumbai, at 8,655, followed by Pune, at 5,412, and Bengaluru, at 4,597.

The most common causes for accidental deaths were falling from buildings, falling into pits or manholes, house collapses, drowning and factory accidents. Of the total accidental deaths in Delhi, 3,177 were of men and 544 of women.

These were in addition to the fatalities occurring in road accidents. In 2024, Delhi clocked 5,573 road accidents, which caused injuries to 4,718 people and resulted in 1,551 fatalities.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).