NFHS-6 Findings: Obesity Up, Stunting Down in India
Why in the news
The Health Ministry published results of the sixth National Family Health Survey. For the first time the findings are available district-wise, and they show a rapid rise in obesity alongside gains in child health.
Key facts
- Survey round: NFHS-6, reference years 2023-24; sample of roughly 6.79 lakh households spread over 715 districts.
- Nodal agency: International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai; owner ministry is Health and Family Welfare.
- Total Fertility Rate holds at 2.0, under the replacement level of 2.1.
- Institutional deliveries are now 90.6% against 88.6% earlier.
- Over 95.6% of childhood vaccine doses were given in government facilities.
- Women using the internet almost doubled, from 33.3% to 64.3%.
NFHS-5 vs NFHS-6 at a glance
| Indicator | NFHS-5 | NFHS-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Obesity, women 15-49 | 24% | 30.7% |
| Obesity, men 15-49 | 22.9% | 27.3% |
| Child stunting | 35.5% | 29.3% |
| Severe wasting | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Full immunisation (12-23 months) | 83.8% | 87.1% |
| Rotavirus vaccine coverage | 36.4% | 85.4% |
| Households with health insurance | 41% | 60.2% |
| Caesarean births | 21.5% | 27.2% |
Antenatal care
- ANC registration: 95.9%.
- Check-up in the first trimester: 76.2%; four or more visits: 65.2%.
About NFHS
- A large, nationally representative household sample survey on population, health, nutrition and family welfare.
- Gives national, state and district estimates on fertility, family planning, child mortality, immunisation, anaemia, women’s empowerment, violence, HIV/AIDS and NCD risk factors.
- First round NFHS-1 was in 1992-93; NFHS-5 ran in 2019-21. Technical support comes from ICF (USA) and WHO.
- Data feed planning of Ayushman Bharat, ICDS, POSHAN Abhiyaan, RBSK, Anaemia Mukt Bharat and NP-NCD.
Concerns
- About 40.5% of babies aged 6-8 months lack adequate solid or semi-solid food.
- 12.9% of children are only partly vaccinated or not vaccinated.
- Just 37.8% of pregnant women took iron-folic acid for the full 180 days.
- Undernutrition coexists with rising adult overweight, obesity and lifestyle diseases (a dual burden).
- Rising C-section share draws worry about surgical births.
Exam angle
- Nodal agency of NFHS: IIPS, Mumbai; first round 1992-93.
- Replacement-level fertility is 2.1; India’s TFR is 2.0.
- Latest round reference period: 2023-24; sample of 715 districts.