The number of student suicides in India rose to a record high of 14,488 in 2024, registering a 4.3% rise from 13,892 in 2023, even as the country’s total suicides fell marginally by 0.4% from 1,71,418 to 1,70,746 during the same period, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Wednesday.
While total suicides in 2024 rose 11.6% over five years, from 153,052 in 2020, and increased 27.8% over the past decade from 133,623 in 2015, student suicides have grown at a much steeper pace, rising 15.7% in five years from 12,526 in 2020 and 62.2% over 10 years of. 8,934 in 2015.
115,850 students died by suicide between 2015 and 2024.
The proportion of student suicides in India’s total suicide cases has also risen over the years.
According to the NCRB report, student suicides accounted for 8.5% of the total 170,746 suicides recorded in 2024, up from 8.1% of 171,418 cases in 2023. Student suicides were 8.2% of 153,052 suicides in 2020, and 6.7% of 1,33,623 cases in 2015.
Read also: Delhi’s prisons are emerging as the busiest with 194% occupancy, according to NCRB data for 2024
Experts said the rise in student suicides reflects a growing student mental health crisis fueled by academic stress, untreated psychological distress and weak support systems, and called for stronger counseling systems, early intervention, awareness of government helplines and easier access to mental health support.
Dr Om Prakash, Professor of Psychiatry and Deputy Medical Superintendent, Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi, said: “We often see the pressure of exams, intense competition, parental expectations, career concerns and social media as major triggers for high suicide rates in students. Although these triggers are certainly important, in my clinical experience, many students who attempt or die from suicide have untreated depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other profound emotional disturbances.” We urgently need early identification, stigma-free counseling, and stronger mental health support systems in educational institutions.
To prevent student suicides, educational institutions must integrate mental health awareness into mainstream education as core systems to support students, said Ganesh Kohli, founder of the Mumbai-based International Career and College Counseling (IC3) movement, which works on issues related to students’ mental health. “Teachers and parents also need greater awareness to recognize early signs of distress and create environments where students feel safe to ask for help without fear of judgment,” he said.
Of the 14,488 students who died by suicide in 2024, a total of 7,669 were male and 6,819 were female. The highest incidence of student suicide was reported in Maharashtra (13.2%), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10.9%), Madhya Pradesh (10%), and Tamil Nadu (8.9%).
The largest share of student suicides were those who were educated up to 10th grade or secondary level (25.6%), followed by 8th grade or intermediate level (17.7%), 12th grade or upper secondary level (18.3%), 5th grade or primary level (14.4%), and illiterate individuals (10.1%). 5.6% of student suicides were among graduates and above.
Family problems remained the main reported cause of suicides in 2024, accounting for 33.5% of all cases, followed by illness (17.9%), and drug or alcohol addiction (7.6%). Unemployment (1.5%) and failure in exams (1.2%) accounted for a smaller share.
