India made significant progress in maternal and child health, with improvements in vaccination and hospital births, and a drop in stunting and severe wasting among young children, according to the National Family Health Survey-6, for which field work was conducted in 2023 and 2024.

The Health Ministry released data from the survey on Friday (May 29, 2026). It showed that institutional deliveries rose from 88.6% in the previous round of the NFHS conducted between 2019 and 2021, to 90.6% this time. Full vaccination among children aged 12 to 23 months increased from 83.8% to 87.1%, while 95.6% of infants under six months were being breastfed during the survey period.

The survey, which is the first to be conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic, recorded improvements in child health indicators. Stunting among children under five years declined from 35.5% to 29.3%, severe wasting dropped from 7.7% to 5.2%, and the percentage of underweight children in this age group slipped marginally from 32.1% to 31.8%. Symptoms of acute respiratory infection among children fell from 2.8% to 1.9%, while the prevalence of severe diarrhoea also dropped to 0.5%.

The survey flagged the increase in non-communicable diseases, lifestyle-related risks, and the dual burden of undernutrition and increasing obesity among adults as persistent health challenges.

Sharp increase in C-section rate

Caesarean section deliveries have also increased sharply from 21.5% to 27.2% in India, with substantially higher rates in several States and private healthcare facilities.

The C-section rate in urban areas stood at 40%. This rate far exceeds the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) optimal threshold of 10-15%.

Private hospitals and urban centres consistently drive these disproportionately high figures.

Maternal health progress

India’s total fertility rate held steady at 2.0 in 2023-24, just under the replecement threshold of 2.1%, while the contraceptive prevalence rate rose from 66.7% to 69.1%.

The survey highlights progress in maternal health services across the country, with 95.9% of pregnant women receiving antenatal care, including 76.2% in the first trimester, an increase from 70% in the previous survey period. Mothers receiving at least four antenatal care visits also increased from 58.5% to 65.2%.

Maternal nutrition indicators also showed improvement, with mothers consuming iron folic acid supplements for 100 days or more during pregnancy rising from 44.1% to 54.9%, while those consuming supplements for 180 days or more rose from 26% to 37.8%.

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Aiming for universal immunisation

Conducted by the Health Ministry along with the International Institute for Population Sciences, the survey documented progress towards universal immunisation coverage.

Based on vaccination cards, full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months rose from 83.8% to 87.1%, with 95.6% of children getting most of their vaccinations through public health facilities. Among major vaccines, rotavirus vaccination coverage rose substantially, from 36.4% to 85.4%. The coverage of the second dose of measles-containing vaccines also increased significantly from 58.6% to 71.8%.

Health insurance coverage rises

It found that the use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection among women age 15-24 years has increased from 77.6% to 79.2%. Health insurance or financing scheme coverage expanded significantly from 41% to 60.2% at the household level. The percentage of women who have used the internet nearly doubled from 33.3% to 64.3%, while women having a bank or savings account that they use themselves rose from 78.6% to 89%, and women having a mobile phone that they use themselves rose from 53.9% to 63.6%.

NFHS-6 fieldwork for was conducted in two phases, the first from May 28, 2023 to February 26, 2024, and the second from February 7, 2024 to December 31, 2024. In all, 27 field agencies gathered information from nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts.

The survey provides vital data on population, health, nutrition, and family welfare indicators. This round includes several new topics, including the coverage of direct bank transfers and self-help groups, as well as digital literacy and financial transactions.