Student suicides in India exceed population growth rate

A new report highlights a concerning rise in student suicides in India, with incidents growing at a rate that exceeds both the national population growth and overall suicide trends.

The report, titled “Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India,” was unveiled on Wednesday at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024.

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), while overall suicides have increased by 2 percent annually, student suicides have surged by 4 percent annually. This rate is double the national average and suggests that the true number of student suicides may be even higher due to underreporting.

The report reveals that in 2022, male students accounted for 53 percent of the total student suicides. Although male student suicides decreased by 6 percent between 2021 and 2022, female student suicides rose by 7 percent.