Farmers Average 30 Suicides Per Day, Daily-Wage Workers at 123

Newsreel Asia Insight #77
Dec. 19, 2023

Of the 170,924 deaths by suicide reported in India in 2022, more than 56,280 occurred among daily-wage workers and those in the farming sector, according to the latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau.

As per the statistics, 26.4% – amounting to over 45,000 individuals – of those who took their own lives were daily-wage earners, while 6.6% – exceeding 11,280 – were involved in the farming sector. This equates to an average of over 150 suicides daily within these two groups.

On average, more than 30 suicides were reported daily among individuals in the farming sector, and more than 123 suicides were reported each day among daily-wage workers.

Also, in 2022, out of the 1,22,724 male suicides in India, the highest number was among daily wage earners, totalling 41,433.

In 2022, the farming sector saw a total of 11,290 suicides, comprising 5,207 farmers/cultivators and 6,083 agricultural labourers. Of the 5,207 farmer/cultivator suicides, 4,999 were male and 208 were female. Similarly, among the 6,083 agricultural labourers who took their own lives, 5,472 were male and 611 were female.

At least 18,357 suicides were reported among self-employed persons and 14,395 among professionals and salaried persons in 2022.

In the same year, 48,172 females ended their lives, with housewives constituting the largest group at 25,309. Female students accounted for 6,113 suicides, and female daily wage earners for 3,752. Additionally, there were 28 suicides among transgender individuals. Of these, nine were unemployed, nine were daily wage earners, one was self-employed, one was a student, and eight fell under the “Other” category.

The predominance of suicides in India, potentially driven by economic factors, is highlighted by the fact that an alarming 64.3% of the victims earned less than 100,000 rupees annually (approximately 8,300 rupees per month), and 30.7% fell into the income bracket of 100,000 rupees to under 500,000 rupees.

The crisis in India’s farming sector, marked by 350,000 farmer suicides over three decades since liberalisation, has been driven by multiple economic factors, according to The Wire, which says declining public investments, privatisation of key industries, opening up to international trade, reduced state subsidies, and a decrease in agricultural credit have all made farming increasingly challenging.

Farmers have struggled to compete with heavily subsidised imports, says The wire, adding that the dominance of agribusiness giants like Monsanto introduced costly genetically modified seeds, fertilisers, and insecticides, significantly raising input costs. This situation, it explains, left farmers vulnerable to both environmental factors like the monsoon and market fluctuations, with debt recovery agents often exacerbating the stress.

The culmination of these issues was vividly seen in the historic farmers’ agitation against the farm Bills introduced by the government in 2020-2021, the Wire notes. These Bills, perceived as a critical turning point akin to India’s 1991 economic reforms, aimed to have farmers negotiate directly with private corporations, bypassing the state-regulated market.

The NCRB data offers other valuable insights into India’s socio-economic landscape, which is crucial for policymakers, researchers, and social organisations in formulating targeted interventions and policies to address the challenges.

The absence of farmer suicides in certain states and Union territories, such as West Bengal, Bihar, and others, raises questions about data collection and reporting methods. It suggests a need for uniform and transparent reporting mechanisms across the country to understand the true extent of this crisis.

The majority of suicides in India were concentrated in five states. Maharashtra reported the highest number, with 22,746 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 19,834, Madhya Pradesh with 15,386, Karnataka with 13,606, and West Bengal with 12,669.

The all-India suicide rate – the number of suicides per 100,000 people – stood at 12.4. Sikkim recorded the highest rate at 43.1, followed by the Andaman & Nicobar Islands at 42.8, Puducherry at 29.7, Kerala at 28.5, and Chhattisgarh at 28.2.

The data shows a significant increase in suicide rates, in 2022 over 2021, in Lakshadweep (100.0%), Mizoram (54.5%) and Uttar Pradesh (37.8%).

The phenomenon of mass or family suicides also paints a distressing picture. In 2022, 150 cases were reported, resulting in 325 deaths. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Punjab were the most affected states.