Telangana reported zero farmer suicides in 2024, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. However, this does not include the 5,745 daily wage laborers who died by suicide.
In 2023, 56 persons employed in agriculture died by suicide, in the same year 4,835 daily wage laborers died by suicide. At the time of Telangana’s formation in 2014, there were 898 farmer suicides.
The NCRB report, which collects information from police from various states, is using the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as well as the Indian Penal Code for record purposes for the first time. Nationally, 10,546 people involved in agriculture died by suicide, down from 10,786 in 2023.
However, Telangana had the second highest suicide rate among major states at 28.6 per lakh, just below Kerala at 30.2 per lakh, freshly released data from the NCRB shows. Bihar had the lowest rate at 1 while Sikkim had the highest at 36.3. Telangana accounted for 6.4% of the total suicides in the country with 10,975 deaths in 2024. This was a 3.7% increase in deaths from 10,580 in 2023. Maharashtra accounted for 13% (total deaths 22,174) and Tamil 47% deaths 11 11
The national suicide rate dropped from 12.3 to 12.2 to 12.2 per 100 million. However, in the case of Telangana, the number increased from 27.7 in 2023 to 28.6 per lakh in 2024. Telangana was among the seven states that saw an increase in suicides in 2024, while there was a national decrease of -0.4%.
Suicides were largely a rural phenomenon, with less than 10% in Hyderabad city at 711. However, this is a 7.9% increase from the 659 deaths in 2023.
The main cause of suicide remains family problems, which are attributed to 4,675 (42.6%) cases. Illness is second with 2,209 cases, while financial difficulties and bankruptcy are third with 1,313 cases. Two deaths were attributed to hero worship and 25 to property disputes.
(Roshini Suicide Prevention Helplines: 8142020033/44 and 040 66202000/2001)
Published – 07 May 2026 21:19 IST
