Factsheets generated from the sixth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), which was completed in December 2024, have been ready for over a year, according to sources, but they are yet to be made public. In August last year, there were media reports that they would be released within a month. However, the delay persists.
Approval Pending from Health Ministry
According to those involved in conducting the survey and preparing the factsheets, the release of key indicators requires approval from the health ministry. There was no response from the health ministry to queries from the Times of India regarding the reasons for the delay.
Background of NFHS-6
Though preparations for NFHS-6 began in mid-2022, it was officially launched nationwide in December 2023. The survey was conducted in two phases over a year. In comparison, NFHS-5 was also conducted in two phases: Phase-I from June 17, 2019, to January 30, 2020, covering 17 states and five Union Territories, and Phase-II from January 2, 2020, to April 30, 2021, covering 11 states and three Union Territories. Despite being conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Phase-I factsheets were released on December 12, 2020 (within 11 months), and the Phase-II factsheets on November 24, 2021 (within seven months of survey completion).
Digital Platform and Data Quality
The delay in NFHS-6 factsheets is puzzling given that, for the first time, the survey was carried out entirely using a digital platform through Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing, with built-in checks for real-time error detection and validation to improve data quality.
Parliamentary Questions Unanswered
Questions raised in Parliament in August 2025 and February this year regarding the reasons for the delay did not yield any specific information. For instance, the answer to a question in Rajya Sabha on February 3 stated: "The ministry ensures timely dissemination of NFHS data by conducting regular follow-ups with the nodal agency and regular meetings at higher levels to monitor progress and oversee intermediary steps."
Expected Impact of NFHS-6
NFHS-6 is expected to provide estimates of fertility levels, infant and child mortality, and other family welfare and health indicators by background characteristics at the national and district levels. This data would offer important inputs for state-level policy making, programme design, and resource allocation.
Changes in Survey Content
NFHS-6 dropped questions on anaemia and disability but added 58 new ones, including 10 on COVID-19 and its vaccinations, bringing the total number of questions to 1,068. Other new topics surveyed include mobility and migration of people, women's self-help groups, and digital and financial literacy of women, particularly whether they use mobile phones for financial transactions. The decision on which topics to include or drop was taken by NITI Aayog and the health ministry along with the NFHS technical advisory committee.
Funding and Coordination
Unlike earlier rounds of NFHS, which were conducted through collaborative funding from foreign agencies, the entire exercise this time was fully funded by the health ministry. For the first time, all aspects of the NFHS-6 survey were coordinated solely by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai.
