Number of student suicides rises 80% in 10 years, 8.5% of total: NCRB report

The number of student suicides grew nearly 80% in the decade between 2014 and 2024, shows data from the last 10 National Crime Records Bureau reports. The latest NCRB report, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024, released this month, shows that the count of student suicides that year was 14,488 – a 79.6% increase over the 2014 count of 8,068.

Along with the increase in absolute numbers, the share of student suicides in the total has also risen appreciably over the same period – from 6.1% a decade ago to 8.5% in the NCRB report 2026. The 2024 count was higher than 2023’s; that year, 13,892 students took their own lives.

However, examination of 10 years of NCRB data shows the sharpest increase in count occurred from 2019 to 2020 and the only year which saw a decline was 2022.

Student Suicides: NCRB data shows rising trend

As per the data analysed by Academia360, the highest year-on-year increase in student suicides were reported in 2019 and 2020 – a spike of 21.2% – with a difference of 2,191 cases. The years 2018 and 2019 also reported a small increase of 176 student suicides.

The table below shows the decade-long data of students suicides.

Students suicides reported between 2014 and 2024

In 2022, the only year to see a decline instead of an increase, 45 fewer student suicides were reported compared to 2021.

Student Suicides: Maharashtra has most cases

Of all the states, Maharashtra saw the highest number student suicides in 2024 – 13.2% of the total incidents (1,909 suicides out of 14,488) – followed by 10.9% in Uttar Pradesh (1,585 suicides), 10.0% in Madhya Pradesh (1,447 suicides) and 8.9% in Tamil Nadu (1,287 suicides).

At 14,778, suicides related to unemployment accounted for 8.7% of overall numbers in India.

The NCRB 2024 report also reveals that the age group 18 and below 30 years and those between 30 and below 45 years of age, were the “most vulnerable”. “Failure in examination” was reported as the “main cause of suicides” for 1,071 suicides among those below 18 years of age in 2024.

While the NCRB report 2026 reveals data from 2024, the next two years saw several interventions for suicide prevention among students, especially in higher education. The Supreme Court, taking cognizance of suicides in the Indian Institutes of Technology, specifically IIT Delhi, set up a National Task Force on mental health. In January, based on the NTF on mental health’s interim report, it issued a series of guidelines for higher education institutions to follow.

Even at the school level, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has framed guidelines for affiliated schools to follow and mandated counsellors. Last week, education ministry officials said they were drafting a mental health policy as well.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.