Maharashtra, not Kota, tops India's student suicide statistics: Report

The rate of student suicides has been escalating at twice the rate of overall suicides in the country during the past 20 years, according to a IC3 report

India has witnessed a disturbing rise in student suicides, with an increase of 4.2 per cent between 2021 and 2022, according to a new report by non-profit IC3. Maharashtra has emerged as the state with the highest number of student suicides, surpassing all other regions, including Kota.

The report highlights that in 2022, there were 13,044 reported student suicides in India, a marginal decrease from 13,089 in 2021. Despite this slight drop, the overall suicide rate — encompassing both students and the general population — rose significantly by 4.2 per cent, climbing from 164,033 in 2021 to 170,924 in 2022. Notably, the rate of student suicides has been rising at twice the pace of overall suicides over the past 20 years.

State-wise breakdown of student suicides
 

• Maharashtra: 1,764 suicides (14 per cent of total student suicides)
   
• Tamil Nadu: 1,416 suicides (11 per cent of total student suicides)
   
• Madhya Pradesh: 1,340 suicides (10 per cent of total student suicides)
   
• Uttar Pradesh: 1,060 suicides (8 per cent of total student suicides)
   
• Jharkhand: 824 suicides (6 per cent of total student suicides)

What does the previous data indicate?  
 

• Maharashtra: 1,834 suicides (14 per cent of total student suicides) in 2021
   
• Madhya Pradesh: 1,308 suicides (10 per cent of total student suicides) in 2021

• Tamil Nadu: 1,246 suicides (10 per cent of total student suicides) in 2021
   
• Karnataka: 855 suicides (7 per cent of total student suicides) in 2021

• Odisha: 834 suicides (6 per cent of total student suicides) in 2021

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh remained the top states for student suicides, together accounting for one-third of the national total. Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand saw significant year-on-year increases, at 14 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Rajasthan, home to the Kota coaching city, ranks 10th with 571 student suicides.

Demographic insights
 

The rate of student suicides has surged, outpacing both population growth and overall suicide trends. Over the past decade, while the population of 0-24-year-olds slightly decreased from 582 million to 581 million, student suicides more than doubled from 6,654 to 13,044.

Meanwhile, the gender disparities are also striking: male student suicides have risen by 50 per cent, while female suicides have increased by 61 per cent over the last decade. In 2022, male students accounted for 53 per cent of the total student suicides. Despite a 6 per cent decrease in male student suicides between 2021 and 2022, female student suicides rose by 7 per cent. Over the past decade, male student suicides have surged by 99 per cent, with female suicides increasing by 92 per cent.

“However, it is essential to acknowledge that comprehensive and accurate data collection, recording, and reporting is imperative for transgender students, as their specific situation remains underrepresented in the data,” the report stated.