Over 10,500 farmers and agricultural labourers died by suicide in India in 2024: NCRB

An average of 28 farmers or agricultural labourers died by suicide every day in India in 2024, according to shocking figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The NCRB data revealed that a total of 10,546 people associated with the agriculture sector died by suicide last year, including 4,633 farmers and 5,913 agricultural labourers.

Year-wise NCRB data showed that 10,677 people linked to the farming sector died by suicide in 2020, including 5,579 farmers and 5,098 labourers. The number rose to 10,881 in 2021 with 5,318 farmers and 5,563 labourers, while 2022 recorded the highest figure in the five-year period at 11,290 deaths, including 5,207 farmers and 6,083 labourers.

In 2023, the number stood at 11,086, comprising 4,990 farmers and 6,096 agricultural labourers, before slightly declining to 10,546 cases in 2024.

Meanwhile, Gujarat too continues to witness a worrying trend of farmer suicides, particularly in the Saurashtra region. According to available data, 381 farmers died by suicide in the state in one year, with more than half of the cases reported from Saurashtra.

Experts and farmer groups have repeatedly linked the crisis to crop losses caused by erratic weather conditions, mounting debt burdens and delays in compensation and financial assistance.

Data also showed a sharp rise in the number of agricultural labourers in Gujarat over the years. While the state had 51.61 lakh agricultural labourers in 2001, the figure increased to 68.39 lakh as per the 2011 Census.