Chapter-2A Farmer Suicides

CHAPTER 2A
FARMER SUICIDES IN INDIA

and 5.7% respectively of the total farmer
suicides reported in the country. These 5
States together accounted for 89.5% of the
total farmer suicides (5,056 out of 5,650)
reported in the country during 2014.
Introduction
India is an agrarian country with around
48.9%* of its people depending directly or
indirectly upon agriculture. Nowadays the
problem of farmers suicides is one of the vital
concerns that need to be addressed by the
Government. Considering the paramount
importance of this issue, the NCRB, for the
first time, has collected detailed data on
farmers suicides.
Causes of Farmer Suicides

Bankruptcy or Indebtedness and Family
Problems are major causes of suicides,
accounting for 20.6% and 20.1% respectively
of total farmers suicides during 2014. The
other prominent causes of farmers suicides
were Failure of Crop (16.8%), Illness
(13.2%) and Drug Abuse/Alcoholic Addiction
(4.9%) [Table2A.1]
Farmers include those who own and work on

field (viz. cultivators) as well as those who
employ/hire workers for field work/farming
activities. It excludes agricultural labourers.
A total of 5,650 farmers have committed
suicides during 2014, accounting for 4.3% of
total suicides victims in the country [Table2A(A)].
Table 2A(A)
During 2014, major causes of suicides among

male
farmers
were
Bankruptcy
or
Indebtedness and Family Problems, which
accounted for 21.5% and 20.0% respectively
of total male farmers suicides. Whereas, in
female farmers suicides, Farming Related
Issues followed by Family Problems,
Marriage Related Issues and Bankruptcy or
Indebtedness were major causes of suicides,
accounting for 21.4% (101 out of 472
suicides), 20.6% (97 suicides), 12.3% (58
suicides) and 10.8% (51 suicides) respectively
during 2014.
Incidence of Farmers Suicides and Percentage

Share to Total Suicides During 2014
Total
Total
Percentage Share of
number
number
Farmers Suicides to
of
of
Total Suicides
Farmers
Suicides
[(Col.1/Col. 2)x100]
Suicides
(1)
(2)
(3)
5,650
1,31,666
4.3
Figure 2A.1
Percentage Share of Major Causes of Farmers
Suicides during 2014
A total of 5,178 male farmers and 472 female

farmers have committed suicides, accounting
for 91.6% and 8.4% of total farmers suicides.
31.1%, 29.2% 14.1% and 11.0% of female
farmers suicides, were reported in Telangana
(147 out of 472 suicides), Madhya Pradesh
(138 suicides), Maharashtra (70 suicides) and
Chhattisgarh (52 suicides) respectively.
The State/UT and City wise information on the
incidents of farmers suicides during the year
are presented in Table2.7. A total of 2,568
farmers
suicides
were
reported
in
Maharashtra followed by 898 such suicides in
Telangana and 826 suicides in Madhya
Pradesh, accounting for 45.5%, 15.9% and
14.6% respectively of total farmer suicides
during 2014. Chhattisgarh (443 suicides) and
Karnataka (321 suicides) accounted for 7.8%
* Source: Economic Survey 2014-15
266
STATE/UT WISE FARMERS SUICIDES DURING 2014
Farmer Suicides
upto 5
6 to 50
51 to 100
101 to 200
above 200
267
Among marginal farmers, 39.7% and 25.5%

respectively of farmers suicides were reported
in Maharashtra (627 out of 1,579) and Madhya
Pradesh (403 out of 1,579). However, 47.3% of
well off farmers (large farmers) who have
committed suicides were also reported in
Maharashtra during 2014.
State, UT and Citywise details on various

causes of farmers suicides is presented in
Table2A.2. 33.4% suicides in Maharashtra
and 23.2% in Telangana were due to
Bankruptcy or Indebtedness. 87.5% of
farmers suicides due to Failure of Crop
were reported in Himachal Pradesh. 4.7%
farmers in Himachal Pradesh, 4.1% farmers
in Jharkhand and 2.7% farmers each in Bihar,
Odisha and Uttar Pradesh have committed
suicides due to Suspected/Illicit Relation.
6.5% suicides by farmers in Sikkim followed
by 2.3% in Himachal Pradesh and 2.0% in
Puducherry were due to Cancellation/Non
Settlement of Marriage.
Age group wise and sex wise data is presented

below at Table2A(B). Majority of victims
belong to 30 years & above - below 60 years of
age group accounting for 65.7% of total
farmers suicides during 2014.
Table 2A(B)
Incidence of Age Group wise Farmers Suicides
during 2014
A total of 765 and 146 farmers in

Maharashtra and Telangana have committed
suicides due to Bankruptcy or Indebtedness
caused by Crop Loan during 2014.
73.2%(857 out of 1,163) and 59.1%(671 out
of 1,135) farmers suicides due to Bankruptcy
or Indebtedness and Family Problems
respectively were reported in Maharashtra
alone during 2014.
Sex / Age
Land Holding Status of Farmers who have

committed Suicides
18 yrs
to
Below
30
years
30 yrs
to
Below
60
years
60
years
&
Above
Total
Male
35
1,131
3,480
532
5,178
Female
24
169
232
47
472
59
1,300
3712
579
5,650
1.0%
23.0%
65.7%
10.2%
100%
Transgender
As per land holding status, farmers have

been classified in four categories namely
Marginal Farmers (having less than 1
hectare of land), Small Farmers (having 1
hectare to below 2 hectare of land), Medium
Farmers (having 2 hectare to below 10
hectare of land) and Large Farmers (having
more than 10 hectare of land). This
classification is meant for statistical purpose
only.
Below
18
years
Total
% Share
A total of 59 farmers (below 18 years of age)

have committed suicides during 2014. 10.2% of
farmers who have committed suicides were
senior citizens (60 years & above). Cause and
age group wise distribution of farmers suicides
is presented in Table2A(C).
The land holding status of farmers who have

committed suicides is presented in Table
2A.3.
Figure 2A.2
Percentage Share of Farmers Suicides by Land
Holding Status during 2014
Land holding status of farmers who committed

suicide revealed that 44.5% and 27.9% of
victims were small farmers and marginal
farmers respectively, they together accounted
for 72.4% (4,095 out of 5,650) total farmer
suicides.
53.1% and 14.5% of small farmers who
committed suicides were reported in
Maharashtra (1,135 out of 2,516) and
Telangana (366 out of 2,516) respectively
during 2014.
268
Table 2A(C)
Age and Gender wise distribution of Farmers Suicides during 2014 (Cause wise)
Sl.
No.
Cause
(1)
(2)
Male
(3)
below 14 years
14 and above below 18 years
Trans
Female
gender
Trans
Female
Total
gender
(4)
(5)
Total
Male
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
Male
Female
Trans
gender
Total
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
1 Poverty
22
24
2 Property Dispute
13
13
36
41
77
11
10
21
30
31
3.3 Extra Marital affairs
3.4 Divorce
3.5 Others
19
20
4 Family Problems
300
39
339
5 Farming Related Issues
16
10
26
191
33
224
16
10
26
191
33
224
12
10
22
96
13
109
95
20
115
127
13
140
Marriage Related
3 Issues
3.1 Non Settlement of

Marriage
3.2 Dowry Related
Issues
5.1 Failure of Crop

5.2 Due to Natural
Calamities
5.3 Due To Other
Reasons
5.4 Inability to Sell
6 Illness
AIDS/STD
6.1 Cancer
6.2 Paralysis
6.3 Insanity/Mental
Illness
6.4 Other Prolonged
Illness
Drug Abuse/Alcoholic
7 Addiction
37
41
89
98
42
42
8 Fall in social reputation
Bankruptcy or
9 Indebtedness
166
168
135
137
31
31
10 Causes Not Known
50
15
65
11 Other Causes
14
182
24
206
12 Total
34
22
56
1131
169
1300
9.1 Due to Crop Loan

9.2 Due to Farm
equipments Loan
(Tractor, Pump-set, etc.)
9.3 Due to Non
Agricultural Loan
269
Table - 2A(C) (Contd)

Sl.
No.
Cause
(1)
(2)
Trans
Female
gender
Male
(3)
(4)
(5)
Total
Male
(6)
(7)
60 years & above
Trans
Female
Total
gender
(8)
(9)
(10)
Male
Female
Trans
gender
Total
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
1 Poverty
71
75
36
39
11
11
2 Property Dispute
23
23
14
14
17
12
29
3.4 Divorce
Marriage Related
3 Issues
Marriage
3.2 Dowry Related
Issues
11
13
4 Family Problems
3.5 Others
394
37
431
233
10
243
105
11
116
330
36
366
270
15
285
61
68
314
36
350
270
15
285
60
67
157
14
171
148
152
36
37
157
22
179
122
11
133
24
30
5.1 Failure of Crop

5.2 Due to Natural
Calamities
5.3 Due To Other
Reasons
6 Illness
AIDS/STD
16
16
225
26
251
193
13
206
134
10
144
6.1 Cancer
6.2 Paralysis
61
68
54
59
13
16
159
19
178
135
143
118
125
102
102
85
85
20
20
479
21
500
333
15
348
132
13
145
396
19
415
271
15
286
114
13
127
76
77
53
53
15
15
6.3 Insanity/Mental
Illness
6.4 Other Prolonged
Illness
7 Addiction
8 Fall in social reputation

Bankruptcy or
9 Indebtedness
9.2 Due to Farm
equipments Loan
9.3 Due to Non
Agricultural Loan
10 Causes Not Known

11 Other Causes
12 Total
98
102
46
50
12
12
285
23
308
234
241
53
57
2027
164
2191
1453
68
1521
532
47
579
270
Table - 2A(C)
Age and Gender wise distribution of Farmers Suicides during 2014 (Cause wise)
(Concluded)
Sl.
No.
Cause
(1)
(2)
1 Poverty
2 Property Dispute
Total
Male
Female
Transgender
Total
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
140
149
52
52
3 Marriage Related Issues
63
58
121

Marriage
15
10
25
40
42
3.2 Dowry Related Issues

3.4 Divorce
3.5 Others
4 Family Problems
5.1 Failure of Crop
5.2 Due to Natural
Calamities
5.3 Due To Other
Reasons
37
42
1038
97
1135
868
101
969
851
101
952
449
42
491
402
59
461
17
17
682
63
745
AIDS/STD
6.1 Cancer
6 Illness
6.2 Paralysis
6.3 Insanity/Mental Illness
6.4 Other Prolonged
Illness
7 Addiction
8 Fall in Social Reputation

Bankruptcy or
9 Indebtedness
9.2 Due to Farm
equipments Loan
9.3 Due to Non
Agricultural Loan
166
19
185
503
44
547
250
250
1112
51
1163
916
49
965
21
22
175
176
10 Causes Not Known
208
23
231
11 Other Causes
759
69
828
5178
472
5650
12 Total
Note: Family Problems excludes Marriage Related Issues.
271

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CHAPTER 2A

FARMER SUICIDES IN INDIA

Causes of Farmer Suicides

Farmers include those who own and work on

During 2014, major causes of suicides among

Incidence of Farmers Suicides and Percentage

A total of 5,178 male farmers and 472 female

* Source: Economic Survey 2014-15

STATE/UT WISE FARMERS SUICIDES DURING 2014

Among marginal farmers, 39.7% and 25.5%

State, UT and Citywise details on various

Age group wise and sex wise data is presented

A total of 765 and 146 farmers in

Land Holding Status of Farmers who have

As per land holding status, farmers have

A total of 59 farmers (below 18 years of age)

The land holding status of farmers who have

Land holding status of farmers who committed

14 and above below 18 years

18 and above below 30 years

3.3 Extra Marital affairs

5 Farming Related Issues

3.1 Non Settlement of

5.1 Failure of Crop

8 Fall in social reputation

10 Causes Not Known

9.1 Due to Crop Loan

Table - 2A(C) (Contd)

45 and above below 60 years

60 years & above

3.3 Extra Marital affairs

5 Farming Related Issues

5.1 Failure of Crop

8 Fall in social reputation

10 Causes Not Known

3 Marriage Related Issues

3.1 Non Settlement of

3.2 Dowry Related Issues

8 Fall in Social Reputation

10 Causes Not Known

Note: Family Problems excludes Marriage Related Issues.

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