NFHS-6: Women's health and digital inclusion surge, child nutrition gaps persist
Synopsis
India's NFHS-6 data reveals a country in health transition — women's internet access nearly doubled to 64.3%, child marriage halved since 2005, and bank account ownership hit 89%. But one in five young women still marries early, child wasting gains remain modest, and nearly a third of women are now overweight or obese, flagging a looming non-communicable disease crisis.
Key Takeaways
NFHS-6 results, released by the Union Health Ministry in May 2025 , show broad gains in women's health and inclusion over three years.
Women using their own bank account rose from 78.6% (NFHS-5) to 89% (NFHS-6); internet usage nearly doubled to 64.3% .
Child marriage among women aged 20–24 fell from 47.4% in 2005–06 to 20.1% in 2023–24 , though one in five still marries before legal age.
The share of women who are overweight or obese surged from 12.6% to 30.7% between 2005–06 and 2023–24 , raising non-communicable disease concerns.
Child stunting declined sharply, but wasting and underweight rates improved only modestly — SBI Research flagged the need for higher child healthcare spending.
India's total fertility rate stayed at 2.0 ; contraceptive prevalence rose from 66.7% to 69.1% .
India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), released by the Union Health Ministry in May 2025, shows significant gains in women's maternal healthcare, reproductive health, and financial and digital inclusion over the past three years, according to an analysis by SBI Research published on Wednesday, 17 June. The findings mark a broad improvement in key social and health indicators, even as certain child nutrition metrics continue to lag.
Key Developments in Women's Health
The survey recorded notable progress on reproductive health. India's total fertility rate held steady at 2.0 across both NFHS-5 and NFHS-6, while contraceptive prevalence climbed from 66.7% to 69.1%. Child marriage has declined substantially — the proportion of women aged 20–24 who were married before the legal age fell sharply from 47.4% in 2005–06 to 20.1% in 2023–24. However, one in five young women still enters marriage early, which continues to affect education, fertility, labour-force participation, and long-term health outcomes.
A significant health transition is also underway. The share of women who are overweight or obese rose from 12.6% in 2005–06 to 30.7% in 2023–24, signalling a growing burden of non-communicable diseases including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension — a trend that analysts say will require sustained policy attention.
Digital and Financial Inclusion Gains
Women's access to financial and digital tools has expanded markedly. The proportion of women using their own bank or savings account rose from 78.6% in NFHS-5 to 89% in NFHS-6. Notably, the share of women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled, reaching 64.3%. The SBI Research report highlighted that these channels are increasingly serving as delivery mechanisms for health services and welfare outreach.
Child Nutrition: Progress and Gaps
On child health, the picture is mixed. Stunting among children has declined sharply, and vaccination coverage has improved. However, wasting and underweight rates have shown only modest improvement, prompting the SBI Research report to flag the need for greater spending on holistic child healthcare. States with higher medical and health expenditure as a share of gross state domestic product tend to record larger reductions in underweight and stunting, according to the analysis — a finding that underscores the link between public spending and outcomes.
Survey Frequency and Tracking
The NFHS, first initiated in 1992–93, historically conducted surveys at irregular intervals of roughly 7 years, at times extended to 10 years. Under the current government, the gap has been standardised to a fixed 3-year interval, enabling more consistent tracking of health and social indicators. This structural change in data collection is itself being credited with improving policy responsiveness.
With the overweight-obesity ratio now at nearly a third of women and child wasting gains still modest, the next phase of India's health policy will need to balance communicable disease control with a rising non-communicable disease burden.
Point of View
But the story underneath is more complicated. A near-doubling of women's internet access is a genuine structural shift — yet it coincides with a tripling of the overweight-obesity rate, which health systems are not yet equipped to handle at scale. Child marriage has halved since 2005, but the fact that one in five young women still marries before legal age means the gains are partial and geographically uneven. The SBI Research note's most actionable finding — that states spending more on health see faster declines in child malnutrition — is also the one least likely to drive immediate policy change, given the Centre's fiscal consolidation priorities.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NFHS-6 and when were its results released?
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted across India to track health, nutrition, and population indicators. Its results were released by the Union Health Ministry in May 2025, covering the survey period up to 2023–24.
How has women's digital inclusion changed according to NFHS-6?
The share of women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled to 64.3% in NFHS-6, up from the previous survey. Women's bank account ownership also rose from 78.6% in NFHS-5 to 89% in NFHS-6, with SBI Research noting these channels are increasingly used for health service delivery.
What does NFHS-6 say about child marriage in India?
Child marriage has declined significantly — the proportion of women aged 20–24 married before the legal age fell from 47.4% in 2005–06 to 20.1% in 2023–24. However, one in five young women still enters marriage early, with ongoing consequences for education, fertility, and long-term health.
Why is the rise in overweight and obese women a concern?
The share of women who are overweight or obese rose from 12.6% in 2005–06 to 30.7% in 2023–24, according to NFHS-6. This signals a growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, which require a different public health response than the infectious disease priorities that have historically dominated policy.
What are the remaining gaps in child nutrition highlighted by NFHS-6?
While child stunting has declined sharply and vaccination coverage has improved, wasting and underweight rates have seen only modest gains. SBI Research noted that states with higher health expenditure as a share of gross state domestic product record larger reductions in these indicators, pointing to a need for increased public investment in child healthcare.
