Kathmandu, Sep 10
As many as 7,223 people committed suicide in Nepal in fiscal 2023-24, a latest data released by the Nepal Police revealed on Tuesday.
This staggering number, averaging 20 suicides every day, highlights an alarming mental health crisis affecting a broad range of people, including farmers, students, housewives, and unemployed youth, the country's leading newspaper The Kathmandu Post reported.
Nepal, which was ranked seventh globally for suicide rates by the World Health Organization in 2014, has seen a troubling rise in deaths by self-harm in recent years.
The latest statistics reveal that over 40 per cent of the suicides were from farming backgrounds, with 5,556 farmers taking their own lives. Students made up 15.4 per cent of the total (2,128), while 11.6 per cent were housewives.
Despite this, the specific reasons behind these suicides remain unclear.
"The suicide rates among farmers, students, housewives, and unemployed youth are very high compared to other groups," said Dr Ashish Dutta, a senior police official, told The Kathmandu Post.
He emphasised the need for a detailed study to identify the underlying causes.