Delhi records highest suicides in India, most victims married; Bengaluru second highest: Crime data

Delhi recorded 2,905 suicides in 2024, the highest among 53 Indian cities, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. Bengaluru reported the second highest number of suicides at 2,403, followed by Mumbai with 1,406 cases. The data also showed that most of those who died by suicide in Delhi were married, while family-related issues emerged as the leading cause behind the deaths.

The suicide rate in Delhi stood at 13.2 suicides per lakh population based on projected population figures. Bengaluru recorded a higher suicide rate of 16.7 per lakh population, while Mumbai reported 11 suicides per lakh people.

Delhi, however, showed a decline in suicide numbers compared to previous years. The city had reported 3,417 deaths by suicide in 2022 and 3,131 in 2023.

Most of those dying by suicide were married

Of the total 2,905 deaths in 2024, men accounted for 2,078 cases or 71.5%, women for 825 cases or 28.4%, and transgender persons for two cases.

Family-related issues emerged as the leading reason behind suicides, accounting for 675 deaths. Marital problems were linked to 258 deaths, while unemployment was cited in 236 cases.

The occupational profile showed that 745 of the deceased were unemployed. Students accounted for 378 deaths and 343 victims were daily wage workers.

Among 325 self-employed people who died by suicide, 242 owned their own business. Homemakers accounted for 315 deaths.

The data also revealed that married people formed the largest group among the victims. A total of 1,616 people who died by suicide were married, including 1,162 men and 454 women. This accounted for more than 55.6% of all cases.

There were 821 unmarried victims, including 543 men, 277 women and one transgender person. The data also recorded 27 widowed persons, 55 divorced persons and 41 separated persons among the victims. In some cases, marital status remained unknown.

Majority belonged to lower-income groups

The income profile showed that 1,362 people who died by suicide earned less than Rs 1 lakh annually. Another 1,258 victims earned between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh annually.

Only 28 people who died by suicide earned more than Rs 10 lakh annually, making it the smallest category in the income data.

The education profile showed that the highest number of victims had studied up to Class XII, accounting for 537 cases. This was followed by 525 people educated up to Class X.

The data also showed that 383 victims had studied up to Class VIII, while 319 had completed graduation. Another 310 people had received no formal education.

Crimes against women and children remain a concern

The NCRB data recorded 7,827 cases of crimes against women in Delhi in 2024, involving 7,904 victims. The figures indicated that several incidents involved more than one victim.

Delhi also recorded 1,058 rape cases during the year, with 1,089 victims affected.

The report further showed that Delhi continued to report the highest number of crimes against children among metropolitan cities. A total of 7,662 such cases were registered in 2024, compared with 3,374 cases in Mumbai and 2,026 in Bengaluru.

Kidnapping and abduction of children also remained high in the capital. Delhi reported 5,404 such cases, far higher than Mumbai’s 1,831 and Bengaluru’s 1,136 cases.

Under the POCSO Act, Delhi registered 1,553 cases in 2024, ahead of Mumbai’s 1,416 cases and Bengaluru’s 594 cases.

Property crimes and vehicle theft remained high

Property-related crimes formed a major share of cases reported in Delhi during the year.

Household theft emerged as the most common offence, with 10,690 cases recorded. Burglary cases stood at 8,968.

Vehicle theft also remained high, with 39,976 cases reported in 2024. The city recorded 1,510 robbery cases and 228 extortion cases during the year.

The data also showed that crimes committed by juveniles totalled 2,306 cases, including 144 murder cases, 526 robberies and 217 snatching incidents.

Road accidents and murder cases claimed more lives

The NCRB figures showed that 504 murder cases recorded in Delhi resulted in 522 victims in 2024.

Road accidents also remained a major concern. A total of 1,521 road accidents were reported during the year, leading to 1,658 deaths.

(Source: TOI)