Every four minutes, one person takes his own life in this country and one in every five suicides is that of a housewife.

This and other startling figures are part of a government report 'Accidental Deaths and Sucides in India 2011' released here recently.

According to the report, the number of suicides have increased in 2011 by 0.7% to touch 1,35,585 compared to 1,34,599 in the previous year.

West Bengal has reported the highest number of suicides (16,492) accounting for 12.2% followed by Tamil Nadu (15,963), Maharashtra (15,947), Andhra Pradesh (15,077) and Karnataka (12,622).

These 5 States together accounted for 56.2% of the total suicides reported in the country.

"West Bengal has reported the highest number of suicide victims in 2009, second highest in 2010 and highest in 2011.

Southern States Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu including Maharashtra have together accounted for 50.2% of total suicides reported in the country," the report said.

Bengaluru (1,717), Chennai (2,438), Delhi (1,385) and Mumbai (1,162) together have reported almost 36.7% of the total suicides reported from 53 mega cities.

"It is observed that social and economic causes have led most of the males to commit suicides whereas emotional and personal causes have mainly driven females to end their lives," the report said.

The male:female ratio of suicide victims was 65:35, however, the proportion of boys:girls suicide victims (upto 14 years of age) was 52:48. Nearly 71.1% of the suicide victims were married males while 68.2 per cent were married females.

"One suicide for every five suicides was committed by a housewife. 38. 3% of suicide victims were self-employed while only 7.7% were un-employed.

Government servants were merely constituted 1. 2% of the total suicide victims," the report said.

Among the suicides committed by children, the report said more than half of the victims (58.9%) belonged to five states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha, out of 3,035 suicide victims at all India level.

The number of suicides in the country during the decade (2001–2011) has recorded an increase of 25.0% (from 1,08,506 in 2001 to 1,35,585 in 2010).

The population has increased by 17.8% during the decade but the rate of suicides in 2011 was 11. 2 which is marginally greater than 10.6 recorded in 2001.

Suicides due to 'family problems' (24.3%) and 'illness’ (19.6%) altogether accounted for 43.9% of total cases while the percentage of suicides due to divorce, iIllegitimate pregnancy and 'professional problems showed a relatively higher increase of 54.5%, 20.1 per cent and 20.1% respectively.

Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Puducherry and Goa together accounted for 55.8% of suicide victims in the age group 60 years and above.

The highest number of family Suicides cases were reported from Rajasthan (72) followed by Kerala (19), Andhra Pradesh (15) and Madhya Pradesh (14) out of 141 cases during 2011.

On the mode of suicides, hanging and consuming poison is the most preferred choice for taking one's own life.

Thirty-two per cent of the suicide victims consumed poison, 33.2% preferred death by hanging while 8.8% by self-immolation and 5.9% by drowning’.