Student suicides increased by 6% annually between 2018-22: NCRB data

Student suicides have risen by 6 percent annually

The rate of student suicides in India has increased at a faster pace over the last five years, with the country registering nearly 60,000 student deaths during this period, as per the data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

A Moneycontrol analysis shows that student suicides grew by a compounded annual growth rate of 6.4 percent between 2018-2022, compared with 4.1 percent growth witnessed between 2013-17.

Last week, the country reported yet another student suicide in Kota, marking the 17th such death reported from the city characterised as a coaching hub for engineering examination in 2024.

Kota reported 27 deaths in the previous year and 15 the year before.

Over the last decade, student suicides in Kota have averaged 17 per year, according to reported data.

In the case of India, the number of student suicides increased to over 13,000 in 2021 and 2022, compared with less than 10,000 in 2017 and 6000 in the 2000-3020 decade.

The pace of growth at 4.9 percent per annum between 2013-2022 was faster than the 1 percent growth in student suicides witnessed between 2003 and 2012.

Meanwhile, overall suicide rate increased at a slower pace during this period. The number of suicides increased at 2.3 percent per annum between 2003-12, which rose to 2.7 percent per annum in 2013-22.

India recorded 13,044 student suicides and 170,924 overall suicides in 2022.

While student suicides accounted for 5 percent share of total suicides in the country in 2011, this increased to 8.2 percent in 2020.

It has averaged 7.3 percent of the overall suicides over the last decade.

Southern states with 3,783 student suicides in 2022, accounted for 29 percent of total student suicides.

Western states had a 24 percent share in total student suicides.