15 Most Suicidal Cities in India

Suicide rates vary from country to country and within the same country. The same is true for the 15 most suicidal cities in India. In today’s world, we are far more connected than at any point in history yet we are also far more alone. Each year, thousands of people kill themselves when they believe there is no other way to end their misery and that there is no solution to their problems. Nearly 800,000 people kill themselves annually. That is an extremely alarming statistic and despite worldwide efforts to ensure that the figure decreases, it shows no signs of doing so.

Of the 800,000 suicides, a reported 135,000 suicides occur each year in the country of India. Of course, this comes as little surprise considering that close to 1/5th of the world’s population resides in the country, with over 1.2 billion living there.

There is a variety of issues that exacerbate this problem. Despite being the largest democracy in the world with one of the largest economies in the world as well, India is consistently plagued by problems which are faced by underdeveloped or developing nations. Such problems include poverty, unemployment, lack of resources and a lack of opportunities as well. By the way, previously we covered 6 reasons why people kill each other in India using official figures.

Of the total suicides occurring in 53 major cities in India, nearly two thirds of all suicides occurred in the 15 most suicidal cities in India. A plethora of reasons can be used to explain the suicides, and we have used statistics provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Crime Records Bureau in order to determine the reasons as well as the cities in India where the most suicides occur. Of course, since suicides are generally frowned upon and seen as a sign of weakness and mental instability, many such cases are often not reported, which means accurate figures cannot be attained. We used the suicide figures provided by the aforementioned authorities, researched the population of all the cities and hence, came up with a suicide rate for each city, upon which we based our rankings.

15. Mumbai

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 7.17

More than 1,300 people commit suicide annually in Mumbai. The major cause of suicides in Mumbai was due to illness. Because many sick people in Mumbai can’t afford treatment or suffer from diseases for which there is no cure, many people simply decide to kill themselves in order to be rid of the pain. The second biggest cause is a failure in exams, in a city where pressure on education is extremely high, hence explaining the suicides.

14. Hyderabad

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 8.19

A bustling metropolis of nearly 8 million people, which is larger than some countries, Hyderabad saw 629 suicides, and while the rate is lower than the national average, it is still a cause for concern. Most of the people who committed suicide either did it because of family problems or failing examinations, which is heavily frowned upon in India’s culture.

13. Ahmedabad

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 10.55

Ahmedabad had a higher number of total suicides as compared to Hyderabad with 671, despite having a population of 6.4 million. Illnesses and family problems resulted in the bulk of suicides while bankruptcy and poverty played their part in driving people to end their lives. The age group with the highest number of suicides in the city was within the 15-29 years bracket, while males committed the majority of the suicides as well.

12. Delhi

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 10.72

It is one of the largest cities in the world, with over 16 million people residing there. It is bound to have its fair share of problems and many of them have led to people believing they have no options other than ending their lives. It had the third highest total number of suicides in all of India, with 1,753 people killing themselves in just one year. The major reasons behind the suicides in the city are family problems and poverty. Furthermore, many people also commit suicides over love affairs, especially if their families do not allow the couple to be together, which is a traditional problem in the country.

11. Surat

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 13.13

Despite a population nearly a fourth that of Delhi, the total suicides in Surat are only a third that of Delhi. Illnesses and family problems made up nearly all the statistics, showing the lack of healthcare available in the city, evidenced by the fact that so many people simply kill themselves because they are unable to seek or get the required treatment.

10. Pune

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 17.4

882 people killed themselves in Pune, despite being a city in a country where suicide is frowned upon. Family problems and unemployment resulted in most of the suicides while in nearly 140 suicides, the causes couldn’t be ascertained by the relevant authorities.

9. Coimbatore

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 19.37

Of the 15 most suicidal cities in India, Coimbatore had the lowest total number of suicides with 414 suicides in a year. However, with a relatively low population of 2 million people, the rate is higher than several other cities. Family problems, drug abuse and illness were the main reason for people deciding to commit suicide and believing that there is no other way out.

8. Nagpur

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 20.93

523 people ended their lives in the city of Nagpur, which has a population of nearly 2.5 million people. Following the trends of other cities in this list, the major reasons for suicide were due to illnesses and family problems. However, 76  people also committed suicide over drugs, either because they were not fully in control of their senses or because they were unable to feed their addiction as well.

7. Kanpur

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 22.18

A similar number of people committed suicide in Kanpur as in Hyderabad, despite the fact that Kanpur’s population is less than half that of Hyderabad. A depressing number of the suicides were committed by people in the 15-44 years range, showing that a significant number of people who had their whole lives ahead of them decided to end them instead, believing that was the only way out of their problems. Illnesses and family problems unsurprisingly top the reasons behind the suicides in the city.

6. Bangalore

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 23.86

This city had the second highest number of suicides in the entire country, which is a worrying statistic, with 2,033 suicides in a population above 8 million. Nearly 1000 of the suicides were committed in the 15-29 age bracket, once again showing that a large number of lives were ended before they could ever have the chance to reach their full potential. A variety of reasons made up the majority of the suicides which include family problems, illnesses, poverty, unemployment and drug abuse.

5. Indore

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 24.88

Indore’s suicide rate is more than twice the national average, making for an extremely worrying statistic. In addition to the general reasons such as illnesses and family problems, dowry disputes have led to suicides as well. A dowry is an amount given by the parents of the bride to the groom’s family. It is considered a time honored tradition in India and is usually one of the basic conditions for marriage. However, sometimes the prices demanded by the groom are extremely exorbitant and cannot be afforded by the bride. The failure to pay dowry has often resulted in public humiliation and in desperation, the woman getting married has been known to commit suicide.

4. Chennai

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 28.31

It is the third most populous city in India with 8.6 million people and also has the highest number of suicides in the country with 2,450 people taking their own lives in just one year. The extremely high rate is close to being triple the national average, and has led to grave concerns as well. Over 1,750 of the suicides were committed by males with people between the age of 30-44 committing the most suicides among all the age groups.

3. Rajkot

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 32.57

A suicide rate which is more than triple the national average, Rajkot may have a relatively low population of 1.4 million, but with 453 people committing suicide in a year, has a major problem in its hands. Once again, illness and family problems are the scourge of the city, resulting in most of the suicides committed. Most of the people who committed suicide were within the 15-44 year age bracket. Males made up 60% of the total casualties, which is lesser than other cities featured on this list.

2. Kollam

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 38.89

With a population of 1.1 million, you would think there wouldn’t be more than a hundred suicides in the city, taking the national average into account. However, Kollam saw 432 suicides which show how much of a problem suicide is in the city. In addition to family problems and illnesses, drug abuse has also been a major cause of suicides in the city. The age bracket of 30-59 years accounted for the majority of the suicides, while males accounted for 84% of all suicides in the city.

1. Asansol

Suicide rate per 100,000 people: 65.87

If you thought that Kollam had a problem, then Asansol will actually stun you. With a population of 1.2 million people, Asansol still witnessed 819 suicides, creating major cause for concern while topping the list of 15 most suicidal cities in India. This is even more astounding compared to the fact that there were only 24 reported suicides in the city in the previous year, with family problems being one of the main reasons for suicides.