Why some data is missing from India's latest health survey, government explains

The release of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 Fact Sheets has provided an early snapshot of India's health, nutrition and demographic trends, with the Union Health Ministry describing the publication as the first stage of a broader data dissemination process.

Senior officials in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the Fact Sheets cover 101 key indicators and are intended to present the most policy-relevant findings from the latest survey. They stressed that the documents should not be treated as the final NFHS-6 National Report, which will be released later with detailed analysis, additional indicators and methodological information.

The clarification comes amid criticism over the absence of several indicators in the Fact Sheets. Health Ministry officials rejected suggestions that data had been omitted without explanation, saying the reporting framework has been refined to avoid duplication and improve consistency across India's expanding network of surveys and administrative databases.

"The objective is to ensure that each indicator is reported through the most appropriate and authoritative source, reducing duplication and improving overall data coherence," a senior Health Ministry official said.

Officials noted that indicators such as sanitation coverage and access to clean cooking fuel are already tracked through dedicated systems, including Swachh Survekshan Grameen and surveys conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Similarly, mortality figures, birth registration data and population-related statistics continue to be generated through established mechanisms such as the Sample Registration System (SRS), Civil Registration System (CRS) and the Census framework.

One of the notable changes in NFHS-6 is the exclusion of haemoglobin testing. Officials said anaemia estimates will instead be derived from the Indian Council of Medical Research's Diet and Biomarkers Survey, which uses venous blood samples and is considered more accurate than the capillary blood sampling method employed in previous NFHS rounds.

At the same time, NFHS-6 has introduced several new indicators in its Fact Sheets, including population composition, the share of the elderly population, financial inclusion, antenatal care utilisation, vaccination coverage, severe diarrhoeal disease prevalence and expanded breastfeeding measures.

The ministry also clarified that a number of indicators absent from the Fact Sheets have not been removed from the survey. Detailed family planning data, selected child health interventions, women's health indicators and HIV-related findings are expected to feature in the full National Report.

Health Ministry sources described NFHS as India's largest household health survey and a key tool for evidence-based policymaking. The final report is currently being prepared in consultation with technical experts, ministries and development partners.

Officials added that periodic revisions to the NFHS questionnaire are a standard international practice aimed at reflecting emerging policy priorities while maintaining survey quality and reducing respondent burden.

"The Fact Sheets are the first stage of dissemination. The detailed National Report will provide a much broader picture. The focus of NFHS-6 remains unchanged—delivering high-quality evidence to support better health outcomes and informed policymaking," the official said.