The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round household survey that serves as the empirical basis for tracking India's progress on health and demographic indicators. It is distinct from the decennial Census and the Sample Registration System (SRS), being purpose-built for health and family welfare data. The NFHS was first launched in 1992–93 (NFHS-1) as part of the global Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme, with the objective of collecting reliable, up-to-date information on fertility, family planning, mortality, and maternal and child health. This data was intended to assist policymakers in assessing and evaluating family welfare programmes.
The survey is conducted under the stewardship of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, designated as the nodal agency responsible for coordination and technical guidance. The mechanism involves collecting data from a representative sample of households across India using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and biomarker testing. The NFHS measures indicators like Total Fertility Rate (TFR), infant and child mortality, nutrition (stunting, wasting, anaemia), immunisation coverage, and women's empowerment.
The NFHS connects directly to national policies and schemes, providing data to monitor progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the National Health Policy 2017, and welfare schemes such as Poshan Abhiyaan and Janani Suraksha Yojana. A significant change occurred with NFHS-4 (2015–16), which was the first round to generate estimates disaggregated to the district level, enabling granular, evidence-based micro-planning. The most recent round, NFHS-6 (2023–24), saw a major change as it was coordinated solely by IIPS for the first time, without the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Furthermore, NFHS-6 dropped questions on disability and biomarker data for anaemia, with anaemia measurements now being shifted to the Diet and Biomarkers Survey in India (DABS-I) conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). NFHS-6 also introduced new areas of inquiry, such as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and digital financial transactions.