NFHS-6 (2023–24): Key Findings and Long-Term Trends.

13-06-2026
NFHS-6 (2023–24): Key Findings and Long-Term Trends

• Fact Sheets of the 6th round of the National Family Health Survey have been released on 29.05.2026.
• NFHS provides an important evidence base for understanding the current health scenario and progress in key indicators, thus marking important milestone in India’s public health journey, which has been encouraging for us, especially those who are working in the health sector.
• NFHS-6 highlights significant improvements in maternal and child healthcare services across the country. India has recorded notable progress in health, immunization, nutrition and financial protection, reflecting the impact of sustained policy interventions and focused implementation of flagship programmes.
• NFHS-6 was conducted during 2023-24, with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai as the nodal agency.
• Covering nearly Six hundred seventy-nine thousand households and over seven hundred thousand women nationwide, across 715 districts, the survey provides valuable insights into key areas such as maternal and child health, nutrition, fertility, family planning, immunization, non-communicable diseases, women’s empowerment etc.

I will first highlight the key takeaways and then discuss the long-term trends.

• India has achieved near-universal electrification and major gains in basic amenities, with overall electricity coverage reaching 98.3%, rural electrification at 97.8%, improved drinking water access at 96.5%, and health insurance coverage rising sharply to 60.2%.
• Women's empowerment has strengthened significantly, with 89% of women participating in household decisions, 89% owning and using bank accounts, 63.6% owning mobile phones, and internet usage among women rising to 64.3%.
• India's demographic transition has consolidated, with women (age 20-24 years) married before legal age (18 years) declining from 47.4% in 2005-06 to 20.1% in 2023-24 and Total Fertility Rate stabilising at replacement level (2.0).
• Maternal and child healthcare indicators have reached historic highs, with institutional deliveries at 90.6%, skilled birth attendance at 91.3%, and full immunization coverage rising to 87.1%. Any vaccine received by children age 12-23 months remains consistently high above 96%. More than 95% children received most vaccinations through public health facilities as preferred choice and 95.9% of pregnant women received any antenatal care (ANC).
• The digital divide has narrowed dramatically, with internet use among women increasing from 33.3% in 2019-21 to 64.3% in 2023-24 and among men from 51.2% in 2019-21 to 80.5% in 2023-24.
• Gender-based violence indicators have improved, with spousal violence among ever-married women declining from 37% in 2005-06 to 22.3% in 2023-24.

Long term Trends
1. Socio-Economic and Household Profile
Basic Amenities and Financial Inclusion

Key Trends

• Electricity coverage is near-universal, which improved from 67.9% in 2005-06 to 98.3% in 2023-24 over two decades, with urban 93.1% in 2005-06 to 99.5% in 2023-24; and Rural electrification increased from 55.7% to 97.8%.  
• Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha AbhiyaN: focusing on habitations of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) have driven major gains.
• Access to improved drinking water has become nearly universal, increased from 87.6% in 2005-06 to 96.5% in 2023-24 reflecting the paradigm shift in service delivery under the Jal Jeevan Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) ensuring reliable and purity tested water at the point of use.
• Health insurance coverage expanded more than twelve-fold, reflecting the success of government-led initiatives aimed at strengthening financial protection in healthcare. Flagship schemes such as Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and State-level health insurance schemes have played a pivotal role in increasing access to affordable healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations.
• Financial inclusion has expanded rapidly through Jan Dhan accounts (zero minimum balance) and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) based delivery systems from 40.2% to 98.2%.

Education and Digital Inclusion

Indicator	NFHS-3	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Women ever attended school	58.3%	68.8%	71.8%	73.7%
Women using internet	NA	NA	33.3%	64.3%
Men using internet	NA	NA	51.2%	80.5%

Key Trends

1. Digital access has expanded significantly.
2. Internet usage among women has shown a consistent uprise of 31% between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6.
3. The JAM (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile) ecosystem has strengthened financial and digital inclusion.

2. Marriage, Fertility and Family Planning

Indicator	NFHS-3	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Women (age 20-24 years) married before age 18 years	47.4%	26.8%	23.3%	20.1%
Men (age 25-29 years) married before age 21 years	32.3%	20.3%	17.7%	15.9%
Rural women age 20-24 years married before age 18 years	56.2%	31.5%	27.0%	23.3%
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)	2.7	2.2	2.0	2.0
Any Family Planning Method by currently married women (age 15-49 years)	56.3%	53.5%	66.7%	69.1%

 

Key Trends

1. Percentage of men and women married before legal age has declined by more than half over two decades.
2. India's TFR remains stable at replacement level since NFHS-5 (2019-21).
3. NFHS-6 points to both expanded coverage and growing reproductive autonomy. More women are now adopting family planning methods, with the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) rising to 69.1% from 53.5% over last decade.
4. At the same time, unmet need – the proportion of currently married women (15–49 years) who want to avoid or delay pregnancy but are not using any method — has reduced from 13% in NFHS - 4 to 8.5%, in NFHS – 6, a direct reflection of increased Couple Protection Rate (CPR).
5. India’s Mission Parivar Vikas demonstrates that evidence-driven planning, grounded in local realities has a potential to transform demographic outcomes.

 

 

3. Maternal Health Services

Indicator	NFHS-3	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
First Trimester ANC	43.9%	58.6%	70.0%	76.2%
Any ANC	NA	NA	92.6%	95.9%
Four or More ANC Visits	37.0%	51.2%	58.5%	65.2%
Neonatal Tetanus Protection	76.3%	89.0%	92.0%	93.8%
IFA Consumption 100+ Days	15.2%	30.3%	44.1%	54.9%

Delivery & Postnatal Care

Indicator	NFHS-3	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Institutional Births	38.7%	78.9%	88.6%	90.6%
Skilled Birth Attendance	46.6%	81.4%	89.4%	91.3%
Caesarean Section	8.5%	17.2%	21.5%	27.2%
Mothers Receiving PNC Within 2 Days	34.6%	62.4%	78%	82.8%

Key Trends

• Any Antenatal Coverage (ANC) i.e. ANC coverage among pregnant women has increased from 92.6% in 2019-21 to 95.9% in 2023-24.
• First Trimester ANC registration has increased by nearly 18 percent points over last one decade.
• Four or more ANC visits increased from 51.2% to 65.2% over last one decade.
• IFA Supplementation for 100+ Days nearly grown from 30.3% (NFHS-4) to 54.9% (NFHS-6)
• Institutional deliveries have increased from 78.9% to 90.6% over the last decade.
• Birth attended by Skilled Health Personnel has also doubled in two decades, i.e. increased from 46.6% in 2005-06 to 91.3% in 2023-24.
• This is attributable to our focus on developing a strong foundation of comprehensive primary health care network through over 187,000 operational Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs (AAMs)/Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs).
• First-trimester registration is our critical entry point. It ensures early screening and timely preventive interventions for high-risk conditions like gestational hypertension, diabetes, and anemia.
• Our network of over 1.03 million ASHAs is the primary driver behind early registration. By utilizing mother and child digital tracking system to actively track missed ANC visits, they successfully transform a passive service model into active community outreach.
• Operationalization of these 187,000 AAMs/HWCs has brought primary care directly to the community's doorstep, reducing geographical barriers that held back early registration, especially across rural and tribal terrains. These AAMs/HWCs have recorded a cumulative footfall of more than 5000 million.
• Similarly, more than 467 million eSanjeevani(telemedicine) teleconsultations have been recorded since its launch, providing specialist care to millions.
• Quality, too, has kept pace with expansion in the number of public health facilities certified under National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) rising from 10 in 2016 to 64,671 as of May 2026. Free essential medicines and diagnostics are provided across all facility tiers — from 106 drugs and 14 diagnostics at Sub Health Centres to 381 drugs and 134 diagnostics at District Hospitals.
• NHM-supported expansion of additional healthcare workers, including nurses and community health officers, and synergistic efforts through targeted schemes—Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA/e-PMSMA), Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), Facility Based New-born Care, Home-Based Newborn Care, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY 2.0) are reflected in the findings of NFHS-6.
• These combined efforts have led to significant gains with more than 82% mothers receiving Postnatal care (PNC) during the critical window of 48 hrs after birth in 2023-24, rising from 62.4% in 2015-16.
• The gains in maternal health are also reflected in the latest SRS 2022-24 wherein the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined from 254 per 100,000 live births in 2004–06 to 87 in 2022–24 — a 65% reduction.
• Estimates from the latest United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (UN-MMEIG) 2023 report, India has achieved an 86% decline in MMR since 1990, far exceeding the global average of 48%.
• The UNFPA honored India’s leadership in Maternal Health and Family Planning on 7.10.2024.

 

 

4. Child Immunization and Early Childhood Health

Indicator	NFHS-3	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Fully Immunized Children #	NA	77.9%	83.8%	87.1%
Polio (3 doses)	78.2%	72.8%	80.5%	85.0%
Received most of the vaccinations in a public health facility	82.0%	90.7%	94.5%	95.6%

# based on vaccination cards
Additional Vaccine Coverage

Indicator	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Rotavirus Vaccine	36.4%	85.4%
Second Measles Dose	58.6%	71.8%
Hepatitis-B Birth Dose	67.4%	77.6%

Key Trends

• Full Immunization Coverage rose from 77.9% (NFHS-4) to 87.1% (NFHS-6).
• Vaccinations received at public health facilities increased from 90.7% (NFHS-4) to 95.6% (NFHS-6), reflecting community trust in the public health system. Hepatitis-B Birth Dose coverage improved from 67.4% (NFHS-5) to 77.6% (NFHS-6), and Second Measles Dose from 58.6% to 71.8% - both signaling strengthened adherence to the full immunization schedule.
• Rotavirus Vaccine Coverage more than doubled from 36.4% (NFHS-5) to 85.4% (NFHS-6) (NFHS-4 comparison not available as the vaccine was introduced later). The improvement has contributed to reduction of proportion of severe diarrhoea in children as reflected in NFHS-6 data.
• The quiet success story of immunization in India is driven by a combination of key strategic interventions:
• A total of 12 phases of Mission Indradhanush has been completed since its launch in December 2014 with more than 54.6 million children and 13.2 million pregnant women vaccinated in all the phases.
• U-WIN digital tracking system for real-time monitoring of vaccination status has recorded more than 173.9 million registered beneficiaries, 32 million vaccination sessions, and 753.6 million doses administered (data as on 2.6.2026).
• The active community mobilization by over 1.03 million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), regular routine and outreach session by the primary healthcare team, and enhanced cold chain infrastructure have played equal role in this achievement.
• India was certified Polio free in March 2014 and Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) eliminated in July 2015. Six new vaccines were introduced since 2014 across all States/UTs of India.
• As per the latest Sample Registration System Report (SRS) 2024 of Registrar General of India (RGI):
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at national level has declined from 39 per 1000 live births to 24 per 1000 live births in the last decade.
• Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) has decreased from 26 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 18 per 1000 live births in 2024.
• Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) has declined from 45 in 2014 to 28 in 2024.
• Global evidence reinforces this trajectory:
• The UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) 2025 report, released in March 2026, shows India emerging as a leading global exemplar and is amongst the top performer countries with reduction in child mortality rates.
• We achieved a 79% (vs Global 61%) decline in the under-five mortality rate and 70% (vs Global 54%) decline in the neonatal mortality rate over the period 1990- 2024.
• These findings reflect community trust in the public health system, driven by robust NHM infrastructure investments, expansion of AAMs/HWCs into tribal and aspirational districts, and the delivery of free vaccines under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

5. Nutrition Outcomes
Child Nutrition

Indicator	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Stunting	38.4%	35.5%	29.3%
Wasting	21.0%	19.3%	19.0%
Severe Wasting	7.4%	7.7%	5.2%
Underweight	35.7%	32.1%	31.8%

Infant Feeding

Indicator	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Breastfed within 1 hour	41.6%	41.8%	50.1%
Currently Breastfeeding (Children under age 6 months)	NA	95.1%	95.6%

Adult Nutrition

Indicator	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Overweight/Obese Women (age 15-49 years)	20.6%	24.0%	30.7%
Overweight/Obese Men (age 15-49 years)	18.9%	22.9%	27.3%

Key Trends

• Child nutrition indicators have improved substantially, with stunting declining by 24% and severe wasting by 30% in last decade.
• These gains are driven by convergent efforts across Ministries through flagship initiatives such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, supported by strengthened service delivery under ICDS. Complementary interventions under the National Health Mission (NHM), including maternal and child health services, Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA), Infant and Young Child Feeding, Iron and Folic Acid supplementation and growth monitoring have further contributed to improved outcomes.
• Adult obesity is rising rapidly, creating a dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition. Recognising this challenge, Hon’ble PM has given a clarion call to reduce the amount of oil we use every day by 10 percent. Under his visionary leadership, campaigns such as Khelo India, Fit India, Eat Right India, and Yoga have gained momentum promoting healthy lifestyles.  To address these health challenges, government has launched several initiatives including wellness sessions such as yoga and facility-based screening for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at AAMs/HWCs.

6. Non-Communicable Diseases and Lifestyle
NCD Indicators

Indicator	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
High Blood Sugar (Women)	13.5%	17.8%
High Blood Sugar (Men)	15.6%	20.9%
Elevated Blood Pressure (Women)	21.3%	19.4%
Elevated Blood Pressure (Men)	24.0%	22.1%

Tobacco Use

Indicator	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
	(age 15-49 years)	(age 15 and above)
Women Using Tobacco	6.8%	8.9%	8.4%
Men Using Tobacco	44.5%	38.0%	36.3%

Key Trends

• Under the National Health Mission (NHM), AAMs/HWCs provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care via an expanded package of services.
• A revolutionary step was taken in 2018, to transform the Sub-Centres into AAMs/HWCs, to include the screening and management of Non-Communicable Diseases – hypertension, diabetes and three common cancers (oral, breast and cervical). These services are delivered by trained frontline workers (ASHAs and ANMs) and primary healthcare team. Under this initiative, a total of 320 million individuals have been screened for Oral Cancer, 330 million screened for Breast Cancer, and 74 million screened for Cervical Cancer. 420 million screenings have been done for Hypertension and 418 million for Diabetes. This has increased awareness regarding NCDs.
• Indicative ‘Point prevalence’ of Diabetes in the population more than 15 years of age at the time of survey has increased in both women and men.
• Indicative ‘Point prevalence’ of Hypertension in the population more than 15 years of age shows a modest decline in both women and men.
• Government has launched several initiatives focusing on wellness through targeted communication, promotion of healthy lifestyle activities and health communication across print, electronic, and social media.
• Tobacco consumption continues to decline, particularly among men, attributable to the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP).

7. Women's Empowerment

Indicator	NFHS-3	NFHS-4	NFHS-5	NFHS-6
Participation in Household Decisions1	NA	63.0%	88.7%	89.0%
Own Bank Account Used by Self	15.0%	53.0%	78.6%	89.0%
Own Mobile Phone Used by Self	NA	45.9%	53.9%	63.6%
Hygienic Menstrual Protection	NA	57.6%	77.6%	79.2%

1 Decisions about health care for herself, making major household purchases, and visits to her family or relatives.
Additional Insights

• Hygienic Menstrual Protection use reached approximately 90% in urban areas and 75% in rural areas in NFHS-6, supported by initiatives such as the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) within the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) and the affordable sanitary products under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.
• Women's financial inclusion has witnessed one of the most dramatic improvements recorded in NFHS over the last decade (15% in 2005-06 to 89% in 2023-24).

Overall Assessment

• NFHS-6 presents evidence of substantial improvements in living standards, healthcare access, maternal and child health, financial inclusion, digital empowerment and women's agency over the past decades.
• The Government has recognized the growing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and heart diseases, which are increasingly associated with changing lifestyles. To address this challenge, large-scale screening and early detection services have been rolled out through AAMs/HWCs, complemented by regular follow-up care for individuals diagnosed with these conditions. The strategy extends beyond treatment to encompass prevention, health promotion, and the provision of comprehensive long-term care.
• These efforts are further strengthened by the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme, which provides financial protection and access to quality tertiary healthcare services.
• The survey indicates that India has largely consolidated its demographic transition while entering a new phase characterised by a greater focus on the quality of healthcare, nutritional outcomes, and the prevention and management of lifestyle-related diseases.
• Large-scale national surveys such as the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) play a critical role in informing policy formulation and planning by facilitating the early identification of emerging challenges, assessing the impact of interventions, and monitoring key social, demographic, and health indicators across the country.
• Overall, the findings reaffirm India’s steady progress towards achieving the Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With continued focus on inter-sectoral convergence, strengthened last-mile delivery, and inclusive development, India is well-positioned to consolidating these gains and advancing the health and well-being of the population.