The provisional data for the year 2006 revealed that the total number of suicides in the country have increased by 4,198 to touch 1,18,112 last year but there was a decline in the cases of farmers taking their lives last year.

The statistics revealed that the number of suicides by farmers were 17,060 last year as against 17,131 in 2005.

Bengal topped the list of suicides with 15,725 suicides, including 6,605 women, compared to 15,015 in 2005 and 13,424 the previous year.

Maharashtra, which topped the list of farmers' suicide with 4,453 compared to 3,926 in 2005, recorded 15,494 suicides as against 14,426 in 2005.

These two states were followed by Andhra Pradesh (13,276) which registered a decline of 166 in the suicides, Tamil Nadu (12,381), Karnataka (12,212).

The national capital registered 1,492 suicide cases last year, which is an increase of 247 from 2005 figures.

There were three cases of farmers committing suicide in the capital, down from seven in 2005.

The main reasons for people taking the extreme step were family problems, failure in love affairs, illness, examination blues and dowry harassment, an official said adding majority of them took to consuming poison or hanging.