Assamlast year recorded 3,243 suicides, an Average of 8.88 daily, which was an increase of 36.8% over the previous year. More than 50% of those who took their lives were unemployed and daily wage earners, according to the latest data from the Centre.
A total of 974 unemployed people and 789 daily wage earners died by suicide during the pandemic-hit lockdown period accounting for over 54% of the total suicide victims in the state in 2020, the report showed. Out of 3,243 suicides, 2,337 were male and 906 female, it added.
There is also an increase in the number of suicides among students. About 390 committed suicides in 2020 compared to 357 in 2019. According to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), family problems accounted for 42.7% of the suicides in 2020, while love affairs also claimed 13.38% lives. Assam also saw 10 cases of mass or family suicides where 10 people lost their lives.
The suicide rate (per lakh Population) also increased from 6.9 in 2019 to 9.3 last year, the NCRB, which functions under the Union ministry of Home affairs (MHA). The national average of the rate is 11.3.