NEW DELHI: The National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), released by the Union health ministry on Friday, showed that India’s total fertility rate remained unchanged at 2.0 children per woman, the same as in NFHS-5. The rate stood at 1.6 in urban areas and 2.1 in rural areas.
The survey also showed that the contraceptive prevalence rate increased from 66.7 per cent to 69.1 per cent.
NFHS-6 recorded significant improvements in maternal and child healthcare services across the country. About 95.9 per cent of pregnant women received antenatal care, while the share of mothers receiving antenatal care in the first trimester increased from 70 per cent to 76.2 per cent. Mothers receiving at least four antenatal care visits also increased from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent.
Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months increased from 83.8 per cent in 2019-21 to 87.1 per cent in 2023-24. The receipt of any vaccine among children in this age group remained consistently high at above 96 per cent.
Rotavirus vaccination coverage rose sharply from 36.4 per cent to 85.4 per cent, while coverage of the second dose of measles-containing vaccine increased from 58.6 per cent to 71.8 per cent.
The survey also recorded improvements in key child health indicators. Symptoms of acute respiratory infection among children declined from 2.8 per cent to 1.9 per cent, while severe diarrhoea among children under five declined from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent.
NFHS-6 was conducted during 2023-24 by the Health Ministry, with the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, as the nodal agency. The survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and provides data on population, health, nutrition and family welfare indicators.
Stunting among children under five declined from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent, while severe wasting declined from 7.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent. The prevalence of underweight children under five showed a marginal decline from 32.1 per cent to 31.8 per cent.
The survey found that 95.6 per cent of children under six months were breastfed. The proportion of children under three years breastfed within one hour of birth increased from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent.
Feeding practices also improved, with children aged six to eight months receiving solid or semi-solid food along with breastmilk increasing from 45.9 per cent to 59.5 per cent.
The survey recorded continued progress in women’s digital inclusion and financial empowerment. Women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled from 33.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent. Women having a bank or savings account that they themselves use increased from 78.6 per cent to 89 per cent, while women having a mobile phone that they themselves use rose from 53.9 per cent to 63.6 per cent.
Use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection among women aged 15 to 24 increased from 77.6 per cent to 79.2 per cent.
NFHS-6 recorded significant improvements in maternal and child healthcare services across the country. About 95.9 per cent of pregnant women received antenatal care, while the share of mothers receiving antenatal care in the first trimester increased from 70 per cent to 76.2 per cent. Mothers receiving at least four antenatal care visits also increased from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent.
Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months increased from 83.8 per cent in 2019-21 to 87.1 per cent in 2023-24. The receipt of any vaccine among children in this age group remained consistently high at above 96 per cent.
Rotavirus vaccination coverage rose sharply from 36.4 per cent to 85.4 per cent, while coverage of the second dose of measles-containing vaccine increased from 58.6 per cent to 71.8 per cent.
The survey also recorded improvements in key child health indicators. Symptoms of acute respiratory infection among children declined from 2.8 per cent to 1.9 per cent, while severe diarrhoea among children under five declined from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent.
NFHS-6 was conducted during 2023-24 by the Health Ministry, with the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, as the nodal agency. The survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and provides data on population, health, nutrition and family welfare indicators.
Stunting among children under five declined from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent, while severe wasting declined from 7.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent. The prevalence of underweight children under five showed a marginal decline from 32.1 per cent to 31.8 per cent.
The survey found that 95.6 per cent of children under six months were breastfed. The proportion of children under three years breastfed within one hour of birth increased from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent.
Feeding practices also improved, with children aged six to eight months receiving solid or semi-solid food along with breastmilk increasing from 45.9 per cent to 59.5 per cent.
The survey recorded continued progress in women’s digital inclusion and financial empowerment. Women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled from 33.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent. Women having a bank or savings account that they themselves use increased from 78.6 per cent to 89 per cent, while women having a mobile phone that they themselves use rose from 53.9 per cent to 63.6 per cent.
Use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection among women aged 15 to 24 increased from 77.6 per cent to 79.2 per cent.
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