Mental Health by Numbers
These are not abstractions. Every figure on this page is a government or UN statistic, and every one of them represents people who could not get help.
This page contains data on suicide. If reading it is difficult, please step away — and if you need to talk to someone, Tele-MANAS is on 14416 and KIRAN on 1800-599-0019, free and open 24/7.
The human cost
suicide deaths in India in 2024. That is a national rate of 12.2 per 1,00,000 people — down very slightly from 12.3 in 2023 and 12.4 in 2022.
Source: NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024
student suicide deaths in 2024 — up 4.3% from 2023. Students are the fifth-largest victim group by occupation, at 8.5% of the total.
Source: NCRB 2024
of suicide deaths were men, against 26.5% women. Married individuals made up the majority of both male and female victims.
Source: NCRB 2024
of all suicides were attributed to family problems (33.5%) and illness (17.9–18%) combined — the two leading stated causes.
Source: NCRB 2024
The treatment gap
of Indian adults have a diagnosable mental disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 13.7%. Urban prevalence, at 13.5%, is roughly double rural at 6.9%.
Source: National Mental Health Survey (NIMHANS), 2015–16
of Indian adults need active intervention for a mental health condition. Most state governments allocate under 1% of their health budgets to mental health.
Source: NMHS 2015–16
treatment gap. Most people with a mental disorder in India receive no treatment at all. The reasons cited: stigma, lack of awareness, and a shortage of professionals.
Source: NMHS 2015–16
psychiatrists per 1,00,000 people in India. The WHO recommends a minimum of around 3 per 1,00,000 — India has roughly a quarter of that.
Source: Indian Journal of Psychiatry (Garg et al., 2019)
Where India stands
India’s rank out of 147 countries on the World Happiness Report, with a score of 4.536 out of 10. Up from 118th the previous year, but still behind Nepal (99th) and Pakistan (104th).
Source: World Happiness Report 2026 (Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, Gallup, UN SDSN)
calls handled by Tele-MANAS since October 2022, available in 20 languages across 53 cells in 36 states and union territories.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, as of Feb 2026
That last number is the one worth sitting with. More than 32 lakh people picked up a phone. The treatment gap above tells you how many more didn’t.
Where these numbers come from
| Source | What it covers | Published by |
|---|---|---|
| Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024 | All suicide data on this page | National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs |
| National Mental Health Survey 2015–16 | Prevalence and treatment gap | NIMHANS, Bengaluru |
| Indian Journal of Psychiatry (Garg et al., 2019) | Psychiatrist availability | Indian Psychiatric Society |
| World Happiness Report 2026 | Global ranking and score | Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, Gallup, UN SDSN |
| Press Information Bureau releases | Tele-MANAS call volume and coverage | Ministry of Health & Family Welfare |
Figures are updated as new government and UN data is released. The National Mental Health Survey is the most recent national prevalence study available and dates from 2015–16 — India’s actual current prevalence is likely to differ, and no more recent national survey has been published.
A 92% treatment gap is not a fact of nature.
It is a shortage of people, funding, and political will. All three are things that can change.