Wednesday 01 / July / 2026
India has made significant progress in maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, and healthcare access, according to the sixth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The survey, conducted during 2023–2024 by the Ministry in collaboration with the International Institute for Population Sciences, covered nearly 679,000 households across 715 districts and provides key data on population health, nutrition, and family welfare indicators.
The findings show institutional deliveries increased to 90.6 percent, while antenatal care coverage rose from 92.6 percent to 95.9 percent. The proportion of mothers receiving antenatal care in the first trimester increased from 70 percent to 76.2 percent, and those completing at least four antenatal visits rose from 58.5 percent to 65.2 percent.
Births attended by skilled health personnel improved to 91.3 percent, while postnatal care for newborns within two days of delivery increased from 79.1 percent to 85.3 percent. Maternal nutrition indicators also strengthened, with women consuming iron-folic acid supplements for 100 days or more during pregnancy rising from 44.1 percent to 54.9 percent.
India's Total Fertility Rate remained at 2.0, while contraceptive prevalence increased from 66.7 percent to 69.1 percent. The rate of child marriage among women declined significantly over two decades, falling from 47.4 percent to 20.1 percent.
The survey also highlighted strong gains in childhood immunization. Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12–23 months increased from 83.8 percent to 87.1 percent, while more than 96 percent of children received at least one vaccine. Public health facilities administered most vaccinations for 95.6 percent of children.
Rotavirus vaccine coverage more than doubled from 36.4 percent to 85.4 percent, and coverage of the second measles vaccine dose increased from 58.6 percent to 71.8 percent. Child health indicators improved as cases of acute respiratory infection declined from 2.8 percent to 1.9 percent and severe diarrhea fell to 0.5 percent.
Nutrition outcomes also showed encouraging progress. Exclusive breastfeeding among infants under six months reached 95.6 percent, while breastfeeding within one hour of birth increased to 50.1 percent. Stunting among children under five declined from 35.5 percent to 29.3 percent, and severe wasting dropped from 7.7 percent to 5.2 percent. The proportion of children aged 6–8 months receiving complementary foods alongside breastfeeding increased from 45.9 percent to 59.5 percent.
Healthcare financial protection expanded substantially, with household coverage under health insurance or financing schemes rising from 41 percent to 60.2 percent, supporting broader access to healthcare services.
The survey also reported advances in women's empowerment and financial inclusion. Internet use among women nearly doubled from 33.3 percent to 64.3 percent, while women operating their own bank or savings accounts increased from 78.6 percent to 89 percent. Mobile phone ownership among women rose to 63.6 percent, and 89 percent of women reported participating in household decision-making.
According to the survey, the improvements reflect the impact of sustained government health and social welfare initiatives and strengthen India's progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
