- The NFHS-6 survey was conducted from May 2023 to December 2024 in India except Manipur
- Population aged 60+ increased to 12.9% and health insurance coverage rose to 60.2% of households
- Internet use among women nearly doubled to 64.3%, and among men increased to 80.5%
The National Family Health Survey 2023-24 (NFHS-6) is the sixth edition of the NFHS series. It is a massive national survey that provides data on population, health, and nutrition for India and each State/Union Territory (UT) except Manipur. Released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 29, 2026, this nationwide survey was conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai. According to the government report, the contents of NFHS-6 are more or less similar to NFHS-5, which allows comparisons over time. However, NFHS-6 also covers new topics, including Direct Bank Transfers (DBT), Self-Help Groups (SHG), digital literacy, and financial transactions.
Additionally, NFHS-6 also shares data on health tests, including HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. It was conducted in two phases between May 2023 and December 2024.
Major findings of the National Family Health Survey 2023-24 (NFHS-6)
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Socio-economic profile
1. Ageing population
The percentage of the population aged 60 and above has increased to 12.9%, up from 11.8% in the NFHS-5 survey.
2. Financial inclusion and health safety nets
The proportion of households with at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme rose significantly to 60.2%, up from 41.0%. Furthermore, ownership of bank or post office accounts among households remains nearly universal at 98.2%.
3. Digital literacy boom
The percentage of women who have ever used the internet nearly doubled, increasing from 33.3% to 64.3%. For men, internet usage increased from 51.2% to 80.5%.
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Marriage and fertility
1. Reduction in underage marriage
The percentage of women aged 20-24 who were married before the legal age of 18 decreased to 20.1%, down from 23.3%. Similarly, the percentage of men aged 25-29 who married before the age of 21 also fell to 15.9%.
2. Fertility rates
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) across India has stabilised at the replacement level of 2.0 children per woman, matching the previous NFHS-5 data. However, the urban TFR is notably lower at 1.6.
Also read: India Launches 6th National Family Health Survey, Reports Big Gains In Child Nutrition, Vaccination
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Maternal health and delivery care
1. Better prenatal care
The percentage of mothers receiving at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits during pregnancy improved to 65.2%, up from 58.5%. Additionally, the percentage of mothers consuming iron folic acid (IFA) for 180 days or more rose to 37.8%, up from 26.0%.
2. Spike in C-sections
While institutional births have slightly increased, there has been a significant rise in births delivered via Caesarean section, which has increased to 27.2% nationally, up from 21.5% in NFHS-5. This trend is driven primarily by private health facilities, where 54.1% of all deliveries were C-sections.
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Child vaccinations
1. Rise in full immunisation
The percentage of children aged 12-23 months who are fully vaccinated has increased to 82.6%, up from 76.6%.
2. Massive rotavirus vaccine uptake
A dramatic increase in childhood immunisation has been observed in the 3-dose Rotavirus vaccine coverage, which soared from 36.4% in NFHS-5 to 85.4% in NFHS-6.
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Child feeding practices and nutritional status of children
1. Breastfeeding within the first hour
The percentage of children under three years who were breastfed within one hour of birth saw a notable improvement, climbing from 41.8% in NFHS-5 to 50.1% in NFHS-6.
2. Decline in exclusive breastfeeding
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months actually experienced a decline, dropping from 63.7% in NFHS-5 to 55.8% in NFHS-6. Additionally, only 15.1% of children aged 6-23 months received an adequate diet.
3. Stunting (Low height-for-age)
The data reflects a great improvement in chronic, long-term nutritional outcomes; the prevalence of stunting among children under five fell substantially from 35.5% to 29.3%.
4. Severe wasting (Too thin for height)
Acute malnutrition saw a sharp reduction, with severe wasting declining from 7.7% in the previous survey to 5.2%.
5. Underweight (Low weight-for-age)
General underweight metrics recorded only a minor, marginal improvement, shifting from 32.1% to 31.8%.
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