NCRB Data shows more suicides among businessmen than farmers in 2020

Even though the broader business sector recorded more suicides than farmers in 2020, a year of pandemic-induced economic suffering, suicides among “tradesmen” soared by 50% – the most across categories — compared to 2019.

According to the most recent data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 11,716 businessmen committed suicide in 2020, compared to 10,677 farmers. There were 4,356 “tradesmen” and 4,226 “vendors” among the almost 11,000 deaths, with the rest falling into the category of “other companies.”

When it comes to tracking suicides, the NCRB divides the business community into three categories.

Suicides in the business community increased by 29% in 2020 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, suicides among tradespeople jumped by 49.9% from 2,906 in 2019 to 4,356 in 2020.

Meanwhile, the country’s overall suicide rate has risen by 10% to 1,53,052, the highest level ever.

When compared to farmers, the business community has always seen fewer such deaths. Small businesses and traders were hit hard by the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, with many forced to close their doors or default on debts.

“Small businesses have been severely hurt by the Covid year. It was previously assumed that more farmers committed suicide as a result of crop failure and growing debt. “However, this demonstrates that businesspeople have been under no less stress, and the epidemic has exacerbated the situation,” Anil Bharadwaj, Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, told the reporters.

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