Ahmedabad: A recent report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed that approximately 9,000 individuals died by suicide in Gujarat in 2023, averaging 25 such deaths every day. The data indicates that illness was the leading contributing factor.
The statistics show that of the total 9,000 individuals, 6,260 were men, 2,685 were women, and 3 were transgender persons. The report detailed that an average of five people took their own lives daily due to illness. Other significant causes included unemployment, which led to 207 suicides, and poverty, which was a factor in 67 cases.
Relationship issues were another major driver, with 680 people comprising 409 men, 269 women, and 2 transgender individuals ending their lives due to love affairs. Specific illnesses like cancer were responsible for 117 suicides, while reasons such as extramarital affairs and failure to get married also contributed to the rising numbers.
Psychologists observing the trend noted an increase in impulsive decisions to commit suicide over relatively minor issues. They stress the importance of communication, urging individuals facing distress to speak with family or friends, and reminding the public that every problem has a solution.
In a related crime statistic, the NCRB reported that 968 murder cases were registered in Gujarat over the last three years. Notably, nearly 30% of these homicides stemmed from petty quarrels. Furthermore, in 68 of these murder cases, the perpetrators were under the age of 18.