Kochi: Kerala can take pride for decline in the number of suicides from third to eighth position at national level.

Majority of those who ended their lives in Kerala were men. Out of total suicides, 75 per cent were men in the State. Fifty per cent of suicides among men in the age group of 15 and 45.

The reason cited in most of the suicides is family conflict. However, the number of suicides due to family problems has come down drastically in the last one decade, according to Thanal Anti Suicide Trust Chairman Dr P N Suresh Kumar.

About 36.5 per cent of suicides were due to family conflict, while 24.1 per cent owing to stress.