New Delhi: More than 70 per cent of Indian citizens who died by suicide abroad over the past three years were living in Gulf countries, according to data presented by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Parliament.
The figures, shared by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in the Lok Sabha, revealed that 1,340 Indian nationals died by suicide in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries between 2023 and 2025. The data was provided in response to a question raised by Congress MPs Satpal Brahmachari and Jai Prakash seeking a review of deaths of Indian citizens abroad.
UAE Records Highest Number of Suicides
The Ministry reported that more than 1,900 Indian citizens living overseas died by suicide during the 2023-2025 period.
Among the GCC countries, the United Arab Emirates recorded the highest number of suicides with 511 cases, followed by Saudi Arabia (354), Kuwait (162), Oman (146), Bahrain (101) and Qatar (66).
Outside the Gulf region, Malaysia reported 131 suicides, followed by the United States (62). Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom each recorded more than 30 suicide cases involving Indian citizens during the three-year period.
The Ministry also noted that nearly 10 million Indian citizens and people of Indian origin currently reside in the Gulf countries.
Rising Suicide Trend
Compared with earlier official figures, the average annual suicide rate among Indians living abroad appears to have increased.
According to MEA data released in 2022, 4,005 Indian citizens died by suicide abroad between 2014 and 2022. While the Ministry did not specify reasons for the apparent increase, it said the Government of India has introduced several initiatives to safeguard the welfare of overseas workers, including the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY).
The Minister said the PBBY is a mandatory insurance scheme for workers in the Emigration Check Required (ECR) category travelling to ECR countries. The scheme provides an insurance cover of Rs. 10 lakh in the event of accidental death or permanent disability, along with other benefits.
Natural Causes Remain the Leading Cause of Death
According to MEA data for the 2023-2025 period, natural causes remained the leading cause of death among Indian nationals in the Gulf.
The number of deaths due to natural causes was:
Saudi Arabia: 6,376
United Arab Emirates: 5,702
Kuwait: 1,672
Oman: 1,092
Qatar: 783
Bahrain: 703
Workplace Accidents Continue to Claim Lives
Workplace accidents also accounted for a significant number of fatalities, particularly in countries employing large numbers of Indian workers in the construction sector.
The recorded workplace accident deaths were:
Saudi Arabia: 182
United Arab Emirates: 128
Kuwait: 62
Oman: 38
Qatar: 23
Bahrain: 10
Crime-Related Deaths Comparatively Low
The report found that crime-related deaths among Indian nationals remained comparatively low across the Gulf region.
The figures were:
Saudi Arabia: 29
Kuwait: 10
Bahrain: 2
No crime-related deaths of Indian citizens were reported in Oman or Qatar during the period.
Meanwhile, deaths classified under ‘other reasons’ stood at 1,092 in the UAE, 1,040 in Saudi Arabia, 285 in Kuwait, 222 in Oman, 102 in Qatar, and 43 in Bahrain. This category includes causes of death other than natural causes, workplace accidents, suicide and crime.
