Abstract

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.

Documentation

You can access the data through the DHS website. Data files are available in the following five formats:

• Hierarchical CSPro file
• Flat files: ASCII data with syntax, Stata, SPSS, SAS

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All datasets are distributed in archived ZIP files that include the data file and its associated documentation. The DHS Program is authorized to distribute, at no cost, unrestricted survey data files for legitimate academic research. Registration is required to access the data.

Additional information about the surveys is available on the India page on the DHS Program website. This page provides a list of surveys and reports, plus Country Quickstats for India, and it is the gateway to accessing more information about the India surveys and datasets.

Methodology

2015-16 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4): Fieldwork for NFHS-4 was conducted in two phases, from January 2015 to December 2016. The fieldwork was conducted by 14 field agencies, including three Population Research Centers. Laboratory testing for HIV was done by seven laboratories throughout India. NFHS-4 collected information from a nationally representative sample of 601,509 households, 699,686 women age 15-49, and 112,122 men age 15-54. The survey covered all 29 states, 7 Union Territories, and 640 districts in India.

Funding for the survey was provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); UKAID/DFID; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; UNICEF; the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); and the MacArthur Foundation. Technical Assistance for NFHS-4 was provided by Macro International, Maryland, USA.

2005-06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3): Fieldwork for NFHS-3 was conducted in two phases, from November 2005 to August 2006. The fieldwork was conducted by 18 field agencies, including six Population Research Centers. Laboratory testing for HIV was done by the SRL Ranbaxy laboratory in Mumbai. NFHS-3 collected information from a nationally representative sample of 109,041 households, 124,385 women age 15-49, and 74,369 men age 15-54. The survey covered all 29 states. Only the Union Territories were not included.

Funding for the survey was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID); the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; UNICEF; the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); and the Government of India. Technical assistance for NFHS-3 was provided by Macro International, Maryland, USA.

1998-99 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2): Fieldwork for NFHS-2 was conducted in two phases, from November 1998 to December 1999. The fieldwork was conducted by 13 field agencies, including five Population Research Centers. NFHS-2 collected information from a nationally representative sample of 91,196 households and 89,188 ever-married women age 15-49. Male interviews were not included in the survey. The survey cover