The rates & age-specific incidence of suicide in a rural community in Kerala were estimated using a prospective cohort study design. During 2002-2007, 284 cases of suicide were reported. The suicide rates were 44.7 per 100,000 population for males & 26.8 per 100,000 for females. The male to female suicide ratio was 1.7. Among females aged 15-24 years, suicides accounted for more than 50% of all deaths. Analysis showed the level of underreporting of suicides in rural Kerala was much less than that reported in Tamil Nadu. (23 refs.)