New Delhi: India has recorded a more than 30 percent decline in the suicide death rate between 1990 and 2021, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health on Thursday, highlighting significant progress in public health strategies.
The study, based on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, revealed that India’s suicide death rate was 18.9 per lakh population in 1990, dropping to 13.1 per lakh in 2019 and 13 per lakh in 2021. This marks a 31.5 percent decrease over the three decades.
The decline was more pronounced among women. The suicide death rate for females fell from 16.8 per lakh in 1990 to 10.3 per lakh in 2021.
Among men, the rate decreased from 20.9 per lakh in 1990 to 15.7 per lakh in 2021, reflecting a slower but steady decline.
“In 2020, educated women in India had the highest suicide death rates, with family problems being the most commonly cited contributing factor,” said researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, US.
Globally, the study revealed that approximately 740,000 suicides occur each year—equating to one death by suicide every 43 seconds on average.
Over the past three decades, the global age-standardized suicide mortality rate has dropped by nearly 40 percent, decreasing from 15 deaths per lakh population to 9 deaths per lakh population. This decline suggests that intervention and prevention strategies are having a positive impact.
The reduction has been greater among women, with the suicide rate falling by more than 50 percent, compared to almost 34 percent for men. As of 2021, the global suicide mortality rate stood at 12.8 per lakh population for men and 5.4 per lakh population for women.
“While the decline in suicide rates is encouraging, certain countries and populations remain disproportionately affected. Removing the stigma around suicide and improving access to mental health support—particularly for those with mental and substance abuse disorders—are crucial steps forward,” said Dr. Mohsen Naghavi, senior author of the study from IHME.
