National Family Health Survey (NFHS)

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. Four rounds of the survey have been conducted in 1992-93, 1998-99, 2005-06, and 2015-16. The fifth round of the survey (2019-2020) is currently in the field. All of the surveys are part of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program. The surveys provide information on population, health, and nutrition at the national and state level. Since 2015-16, the surveys have also provided information at the district level. Some of the major topics included in NFHS-4 (2015-16) are fertility, infant and child mortality, family planning, maternal and reproductive health, child vaccinations, prevalence and treatment of childhood diseases, nutrition, women’s empowerment, domestic violence, marriage, sexual activity, employment, anemia, anthropometry, HIV/AIDS knowledge and testing, tobacco and alcohol use, biomarker tests (anthropometry, anemia, HIV, blood pressure, and blood glucose), and water, sanitation, and hygiene. The primary objective of the NFHS surveys is to provide essential data on health and family welfare, as well as emerging issues in these areas. The information collected through the NFHS surveys is intended to assist policymakers and program managers in setting benchmarks and examining progress over time in India’s health sector. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India, designated the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the agency responsible for providing coordination and technical guidance for all of the surveys. IIPS has collaborated with a large number of field agencies for survey implementation. The Demographic and Health Surveys Program has provided technical assistance for all of the surveys.