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NFHS-6: National Stunting Falls to 29.3%, But Wasting at 19% and Breastfeeding Declines in UP, Jharkhand to 34.6%

Social IssuesPolityCORE
Target:UPSC GS-IMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
07 Jun 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:Stunting 29.3%Wasting 19%Exclusive Breastfeeding 55.8%Adequate Diet 15.3%Full Vaccination 87.1%
Bodies:NITI AayogMoHFW
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What This Article Covers

1.National stunting in children under five declined from 35.5% to 29.3%, but wasting remains high at 19% and underweight prevalence at 31.8%.

2.State-level disparities are stark: UP, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan saw worsening wasting/underweight rates, while Kerala performed better, indicating uneven implementation of national programs.

3.Exclusive breastfeeding declined nationally (63.7% to 55.8%) with a sharp drop in UP (59.7% to 34.6%), highlighting a policy failure in postnatal support.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

NFHS-6 reveals a mixed picture on child nutrition: while national stunting improved from 35.5% to 29.3%, critical indicators like wasting (19%) and exclusive breastfeeding (down to 55.8%) show alarming stagnation or decline, especially in large states like UP and Jharkhand. This signals a policy gap in translating national program delivery into tangible outcomes.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

National Stunting (NFHS-6)29.3% (from 35.5% in NFHS-5)
National Wasting19% (from 19.3% in NFHS-5)
Children with Adequate Diet (6-23 mths)15.3% (from 11% in NFHS-5)
Exclusive Breastfeeding (<6 mths)55.8% (from 63.7% in NFHS-5)
Full Vaccination Coverage87.1% (from 83.8%)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›National Stunting (NFHS-6): 29.3% (from 35.5% in NFHS-5)
  • ›National Wasting: 19% (from 19.3% in NFHS-5)
  • ›Target this Data: Stunting 29.3%, Wasting 19%, Exclusive Breastfeeding 55.8% (NFHS-6 national figures).
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) & International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) for NFHS.
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Link to SDG Target 2.2 (end all forms of malnutrition) and POSHAN Abhiyaan/ Mission.

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Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which institution is the nodal agency for conducting the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding findings from NFHS-6 data on child nutrition:

1. The national stunting rate among children under five has shown a substantial decline compared to NFHS-5.

2. The proportion of children receiving an adequate diet has decreased, contributing to the decline in stunting.

3. Exclusive breastfeeding rates have increased uniformly across all major states.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the NFHS-6 data mentioned in the article, what is the current national prevalence of wasting among children under five years of age?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

The sharp decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates in states like Uttar Pradesh, as per NFHS-6, primarily indicates a failure in which aspect of public health delivery?

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