More than 1,900 Indian citizens living abroad died by suicide between 2023 and 2025, with over 70% of these deaths reported from Gulf countries, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

As per the data shared by Minister of State, External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in Lok Sabha, in response to a question by Congress MPs Satpal Brahamchari and Jai Prakash on the deaths of Indian citizens abroad, 1,340 of the suicide deaths occurred in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, with the United Arab Emirates recording the highest number at 511, followed by Saudi Arabia (354), Kuwait (162), Oman (146), Bahrain (101) and Qatar (66).

Besides the Gulf countries, Malaysia reported 131 such deaths, followed by the United States with 62. Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom each recorded more than 30 cases during the period, the Indian Express reported.

On an average, number of suicide cases by Indian citizens living abroad seems to have increased in the period cited when compared to the last such figure provided by the government. In 2022, the MEA had pegged the number of suicides between 2014 and 2022 at 4,005.

The data also categorised deaths by causes such as natural deaths, workplace accidents, suicide, crime and other reasons.

Among workplace fatalities, Saudi Arabia recorded the highest number with 182 deaths, followed by the UAE with 128. Outside the Gulf, workplace accident deaths were reported in the United States (46), Canada (40), Singapore (32) and the Maldives (13).

Around one crore Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin currently reside in Gulf nations.

Overall, more than 39,000 Indian citizens died abroad during the 2023-2025 period, according to the data presented in Parliament.

While the government did not specify reasons behind the suicide cases, the minister said several initiatives have been introduced to safeguard the welfare of Indian workers overseas.

These include the mandatory Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) for Emigration Check Required (ECR) category workers travelling to ECR countries. The scheme provides an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh in case of accidental death or permanent disability, along with other benefits, at subsidised premium rates.