Not Just Twisha Sharma: India’s Dowry-Suicide Crisis Has Barely Changed Since 1995, Reveals Data
Not Just Twisha Sharma: India’s Dowry-Suicide Crisis Has Barely Changed Since 1995, Reveals Data Written By, Edited By Last Updated: May 29, 2026, 10:04 IST
Not Just Twisha Sharma: India’s Dowry-Suicide Crisis Has Barely Changed Since 1995, Reveals Data Written By, Edited By Last Updated: May 29, 2026, 10:04 IST Since 1995, India has lost an average of six women every day to dowry-related suicides, five of them aged between 18 and 30 years Rapid Read Between 1995 and 2024, India reported close to 65,000 dowry-related suicides among women, nearly 48,000 of them in the 18-30 age group. (AI-Generated Image) Since 1995, India has lost an average of six women every day to dowry-related suicides, five of them aged between 18 and 30 years, an analysis of official data by News18 shows, revealing that the dowry-suicide crisis has remained overwhelmingly concentrated in this age group for the last three decades. The data was taken from the Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India and Crime in India—the two annual publications from the Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). ALSO READ | Twisha Sharma’s Wedding Album: Smiles, Dreams And A Tragic End That Has Left Internet In Tears In 1995, women aged 18-30 accounted for 75.6 per cent of all dowry-related suicides among women. In 2024, the share stood at 77.5 per cent, showing that despite fluctuations in annual numbers, the age profile of victims has remained remarkably unchanged for nearly 30 years. The lowest share of this age group was registered in 2011 (65.7 per cent), while the highest share was reported in 2019 (77.7 per cent). In 1995, India recorded 2,336 dowry-related suicides among women, or about seven every day, and 1,766 of these, about five suicides daily, were in the 18-30 age group. In 2024, there were 1,360 dowry-related suicides among women and 1,055 were from the 18 to 30 years age group. Between 1995 and 2024, India reported close to 65,000 dowry-related suicides among women, nearly 48,000 of them in the 18-30 age group. Even in the last two decades alone, between 2005 and 2024, over 31,500 women aged 18-30 died in dowry-related suicides out of 42,973 total deaths registered in the category. Under Indian law, dowry deaths are prosecuted under Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code, now replaced by Section 80 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The legal definition covers deaths occurring “otherwise than under normal circumstances" within seven years of marriage in cases involving dowry-related harassment. Suicide cases linked to dowry-related harassment can also be registered under the same law. While the numbers have declined over the last three decades, India still lost around four women daily to dowry-related suicides in 2024, three of them aged between 18 and 30. In 2020, India lost 1,749 women due to dowry-related suicides and 1,477 of these were aged between 18 and 30 years. After 2020, there has been some decline in the numbers—overall dowry-related suicides dropped below 1,600 annually while in the 18-30 years bracket, the numbers dropped below 1,200. Since 2022, there has been a consistent drop in the two categories. Dowry Deaths: 16 Women Killed Per Day Dowry deaths too have declined in the last five years, though they remained nearly four times the dowry-suicide numbers. ALSO READ | ‘You Could Have Just Left’: Kiran Bedi On 4 Failures, Including Twisha’s Own, In Bhopal Dowry Death Case India lost 7,045 women in dowry deaths in 2020 that dropped to 5,811 in 2024 – when India recorded nearly 16 dowry deaths every day. The NCRB data includes an age-wise breakup for suicide cases, but no such age profile is available for dowry deaths. However, the age-bracket of those arrested is given. Also, the NCRB doesn’t provide years-since-marriage for suicides or death cases. Another important fact to consider here is that dowry laws apply within seven years of marriage only. The legal age of marriage in India is 21 years for men and 18 years for women. Over 8 in 10 Arrested in Dowry Death Cases Were Aged 18-45 Like dowry-related suicides, a similar age concentration is visible in arrests related to dowry death cases as well. The data from NCRB also shows that men accounted for more than 80 per cent of all arrests in dowry death cases between 2020 and 2024, and nearly 85 per cent of the arrested men were aged between 18 and 45.
Between 2020 and 2024, almost half of all men arrested in dowry death cases were aged 18-30 years, suggesting that dowry-linked violence remains heavily concentrated in this age group. The NCRB data shows that a total of 56,498 men were arrested in cases related to dowry deaths between 2020 and 2024 and 47,880 of these were men aged between 18 to 45 years. The 18 to 30 years age group had the biggest share of 25,004 arrested men. With 8,054 arrested men, the 45 to 60 age group formed the third-largest age group, followed by 465 of men above 60 years of age. Annually, women accounted for about 20 per cent of the total arrested in the dowry deaths. A total of 13,713 women were arrested between 2020 and 2024 in cases related to dowry deaths out of the total 70,211 people arrested. The biggest share of women came in the 30 to 45 age group—6,032. With 3,858 arrests, the 18 to 30 age group formed the second-largest share in women arrested for dowry deaths. Usually in cases related to dowry deaths, while husbands and parents-in-law are the primary accused, other family members are also arrested for supporting the crime. ALSO READ | Twisha Sharma Case: Why Dowry Deaths Often Turn Into Posthumous Character Trials Of Women Since 2020, the arrests in dowry cases fell by nearly 20 per cent, mirroring the fall recorded in both dowry deaths and dowry-related suicides during the same period. Hindi Belt Dominance In terms of dowry deaths, Uttar Pradesh is the leading state followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh at the third spot. In 2024, Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for more than one-third of all dowry deaths reported in India. Clubbed with Bihar, together they accounted for more than 54 per cent of all dowry deaths in India. When Madhya Pradesh is also added, the three states accounted for over 61 per cent of the total deaths. In dowry-related suicides, Madhya Pradesh led the charts. India reported 7,586 dowry-related suicides between 2020 and 2024 and 2,423 of these were from Madhya Pradesh alone followed by 1,883 from Uttar Pradesh.
Between 2020 and 2024, Madhya Pradesh accounted for about 30 to 40 per cent of total dowry-related suicides among women. Madhya Pradesh was the leading state from 2020 to 2022, before Uttar Pradesh overtook it in 2023 in reported dowry-related suicides. Of the 1,360 dowry-related suicides among women in India in 2024, at least 909, 66 per cent, were from Uttar Pradesh (448), Madhya Pradesh (391) and Delhi (70). A similar share was reported in 2023 as well: 942 suicides were from these three parts out of a total of 1,413. Delhi recorded the highest number of dowry-related suicides among Union Territories during the period. Collectively, between 2020 and 2024, the three parts of the country—UP, MP and Delhi—accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total dowry-related suicides among women. Despite a gradual decline in annual numbers, India recorded an average of nearly 18 dowry deaths, four dowry-related suicides and 39 arrests in dowry death cases every day between 2020 and 2024. Yet the concentration of victims in the 18-30 age group has remained remarkably stable across generations. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 29, 2026, 10:04 IST News india Not Just Twisha Sharma: India’s Dowry-Suicide Crisis Has Barely Changed Since 1995, Reveals Data Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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