Institutional deliveries in India increased to 90.6% in 2023-24 from 88.6% in 2019-2021, according to the latest National Family Health Survey. The NFHS-6 report, released on Friday, also noted gains in antenatal care and other maternal health indicators.
The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the International Institute for Population Sciences as the nodal agency, covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts.
Key improvements included antenatal care coverage reaching 95.9%, with first-trimester visits rising to 76.2% and at least four visits increasing to 65.2%. Births attended by health personnel grew to 91.3%, while postnatal care for newborns within two days improved to 85.3%.
Caesarean deliveries rose to 27.2% overall. The health ministry attributed the gains to programmes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, which have strengthened access to maternal and child healthcare services.
