The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday released the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), highlighting significant improvements in maternal and child healthcare, nutrition, immunisation coverage and financial protection across the country during 2023-24.
Conducted by the MoHFW with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the nodal agency, the survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and provides key data on population, health, nutrition and family welfare indicators.
According to the survey, institutional deliveries increased from 88.6 per cent in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 90.6 per cent in NFHS-6, while antenatal care coverage rose from 92.6 per cent to 95.9 per cent.
The proportion of mothers receiving antenatal care during the first trimester increased from 70 per cent to 76.2 per cent, while women receiving at least four antenatal visits rose from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent.
The survey also recorded improvements in postnatal care and maternal nutrition. Mothers consuming iron-folic acid supplements for 100 days or more during pregnancy increased from 44.1 per cent to 54.9 per cent, while those taking supplements for 180 days or more rose from 26 per cent to 37.8 per cent.
The ministry attributed these gains to government initiatives such as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, SUMAN and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.
India also registered progress in family planning indicators, with the Total Fertility Rate remaining stable at 2.0 and the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate increasing from 66.7 per cent to 69.1 per cent.
In child immunisation, full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months increased from 83.8 per cent to 87.1 per cent. More than 96 per cent of children received at least one vaccine, while 95.6 per cent received vaccinations through public health facilities.
The survey highlighted a sharp rise in rotavirus vaccination coverage, which increased from 36.4 per cent to 85.4 per cent. Coverage of the second dose of the measles vaccine also rose significantly from 58.6 per cent to 71.8 per cent.
The ministry said strengthened frontline healthcare services, improved cold-chain infrastructure and digital tracking systems such as U-WIN contributed to the gains in immunisation coverage.
NFHS-6 also showed encouraging progress in child nutrition indicators. Stunting among children under five years declined from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent, while severe wasting dropped from 7.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent. Underweight prevalence among children under five recorded a marginal decline from 32.1 per cent to 31.8 per cent.
The proportion of children aged 6-8 months receiving solid or semi-solid food along with breastmilk increased from 45.9 per cent to 59.5 per cent, while breastfeeding within one hour of birth rose from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent.
The improvements were attributed to flagship schemes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, along with interventions under the National Health Mission.
The survey further recorded a significant rise in health insurance coverage at the household level, increasing from 41 per cent to 60.2 per cent. The ministry said schemes such as Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) played a major role in expanding financial protection in healthcare.
Women’s empowerment and digital inclusion indicators also improved considerably. Women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled from 33.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent, while women operating their own bank accounts increased from 78.6 per cent to 89 per cent.
Ownership and usage of mobile phones among women rose from 53.9 per cent to 63.6 per cent.
The use of hygienic menstrual protection methods among women aged 15-24 years increased from 77.6 per cent to 79.2 per cent, supported by initiatives under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram and Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.
While noting steady progress across multiple sectors, the Health Ministry said the survey also highlighted emerging challenges, including rising non-communicable diseases, lifestyle-related risks and the dual burden of undernutrition and obesity.
The ministry said the findings reaffirm India’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and underscored the importance of continued focus on preventive healthcare, balanced nutrition and last-mile service delivery.
