NFHS-6 flags twin trend: more hospital births and a rising lifestyle disease burden

The sixth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), released on 29 May 2026, points to two divergent trends in Indian public health. Hospital deliveries and skilled care at birth have improved, but adults are increasingly affected by obesity and high blood sugar — early signs of a deepening non-communicable disease burden.

NFHS-6 covers the period 2023-24 and is the sixth round in the series that tracks population, health and nutrition indicators. Institutional deliveries in India have risen to 90.6 per cent, up from 88.6 per cent in NFHS-5 (2019-2021). At the same time, the share of births taking place in public health facilities has fallen from 61.9 per cent to 58.6 per cent, showing a steady shift toward private hospitals.

Deliveries attended by skilled health personnel rose from 89.4 per cent to 91.3 per cent. Postnatal care within 48 hours after birth reached 82.8 per cent, improving continuity of care for both mothers and newborns. Officials say these gains have helped pull down maternal mortality. The latest Sample Registration System (SRS) estimate for 2022-24 places the national Maternal Mortality Ratio at 87 per one lakh live births.

A senior Health Ministry official said the empanelment of many private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat – PMJAY insurance scheme may explain part of the move toward private facilities. First-trimester antenatal registration rose from 70 per cent to 76.2 per cent, while women receiving four or more antenatal visits increased from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent.

The ministry credits sustained investment under Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), backed by ASHAs, ANMs, nurses and midwives, especially in rural and tribal areas. Digital tools such as the PMSMA portal, Kilkari and the new JANANI platform are being used to track pregnancies, identify high-risk cases and improve referrals.

The worrying side of the report is the sharp rise in lifestyle-linked conditions. Among adults aged 15 years and above, the share in the very high blood sugar category rose from 6.3 per cent in NFHS-5 to 9.1 per cent in NFHS-6. The high blood sugar category grew from 6.1 to 7.5 per cent.

Obesity is rising in both sexes. The share of women who are overweight or obese rose from 24 per cent to 30.7 per cent. Among men it rose from 22.9 per cent to 27.3 per cent. Officials said prevention of lifestyle diseases is a focus area and several programmes under the National Health Mission target this challenge.

Together, NFHS-6 paints a picture of a country making solid gains in maternal health while also entering a phase where chronic, lifestyle-driven illness is becoming a major public health concern.