Farm Sector Suicides Decline for Second Year, Reports NCRB
Farm sector suicides at 10,546 in 2024, second straight yearly decline: NCRB report
The Economic TimesImage: The Economic Times
In 2024, a total of 10,546 individuals in India's farming sector died by suicide, marking a 2% decline from the previous year. This includes 4,633 farmers and 5,913 agricultural laborers, representing 6.2% of all suicides in the country. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of cases.
- 01Total farm sector suicides in 2024 were 10,546, a decline from 10,786 in 2023.
- 02Maharashtra reported the highest number of farm suicides at 3,824.
- 03The report indicates that crop failures and financial distress contribute to suicides.
- 04States like Arunachal Pradesh and Goa reported zero farm sector suicides.
- 05Government schemes may have contributed to the decline in suicide rates.
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According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 10,546 individuals in the farming sector died by suicide in 2024, reflecting a 2% decrease from 2023. This figure includes 4,633 farmers and 5,913 agricultural laborers, constituting 6.2% of the total suicide victims in India, which numbered 170,746. The decline marks the second consecutive year of reduced suicides in this sector, following a previous drop of over 4% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Maharashtra reported the highest number of suicides at 3,824, followed by Karnataka with 2,971, and Madhya Pradesh with 835. The NCRB noted that higher suicide rates in states like Maharashtra and Karnataka correlate with regions where cash crops, such as cotton and sugarcane, are extensively cultivated. Factors such as crop failures and low yields often lead farmers to seek loans from moneylenders, exacerbating their financial distress.
The report emphasizes that while it records the profession of individuals who died by suicide, it does not establish any causal links. It also highlights that several states, including Arunachal Pradesh and Goa, reported zero suicides in the farming sector for 2024. The marginal decline in suicide rates may be attributed to government initiatives like crop insurance and income support.
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The decline in farm sector suicides may indicate improvements in financial support for farmers, potentially reducing distress caused by crop failures.
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