Key indicators missing from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 Fact Sheets have not been dropped but shifted to specialised national databases, the centre said on Sunday, asserting that the survey's latest release is only a preliminary snapshot and not the final report. Amid questions over the absence of data on issues such as anaemia and sanitation, senior health ministry officials said the Fact Sheets contain 101 headline indicators and represent the first stage of dissemination, while a comprehensive National Report with a much broader range of findings and methodological details will be released later.
The clarification comes as the government pushes a wider strategy to harmonise India's statistical systems by assigning different datasets to what it calls the "most appropriate and authoritative source".
"The objective is to ensure that each indicator is reported through the most appropriate and authoritative source, reducing duplication and improving overall data coherence," a senior ministry official said.
Officials said sanitation and clean cooking fuel coverage are already tracked through dedicated surveys and administrative platforms, while mortality, birth registration, and population-related statistics continue to be generated through established systems such as the Sample Registration System (SRS), Civil Registration System (CRS), and the Census framework.
On the absence of anaemia estimates, the ministry said haemoglobin testing was not carried out in NFHS-6 because of concerns over the capillary blood sampling methodology used in earlier rounds. Instead, anaemia prevalence will be estimated through the Indian Council of Medical Research's Diet and Biomarkers Survey, which uses venous blood sampling.
The ministry also rejected suggestions that the survey's scope has been reduced, saying NFHS-6 has introduced several new indicators in the Fact Sheets, including population composition, the share of the elderly population, financial inclusion, antenatal care utilisation, vaccination coverage, severe diarrhoeal disease prevalence, and expanded breastfeeding indicators.
Officials further clarified that several indicators not included in the Fact Sheets have been retained for the full National Report, including more granular family planning data, selected child health interventions, additional women's health indicators, and HIV-related findings.
Health ministry sources said NFHS remains the country's largest household health survey and continues to be a key instrument for evidence-based policymaking. The final National Report, they said, is being prepared in consultation with technical experts, ministries, and development partners.
"The Fact Sheets are the first stage of dissemination. The detailed National Report will provide a much broader picture. The focus of NFHS-6 remains unchanged-delivering high-quality evidence to support better health outcomes and informed policymaking," the official said.
Officials added that the NFHS questionnaire is periodically refined to reflect emerging policy priorities while maintaining survey quality and reducing respondent burden, describing the practice as consistent with international standards for large-scale household surveys.
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