NEW DELHI: The proportion of women who used the Internet at least once has almost doubled from 33.3 per cent during 2019-21 to 64.3 per cent in 2023-24, according to the Sixth National Family Health Survey report released on Friday.
The NFHS-5 for 2019-2021 recorded that 33.3 per cent of Indian women used the internet at least once. This number has doubled during the interim biennium, indicating a paradigm shift in digital accessibility among women.
The data showed that the percentage of women who have bank or savings accounts increased from 78.6 percent in 2019-2021 to 89 percent in 2023-24, while the percentage of women who have a personal mobile phone increased from 53.9 percent in 2019-2021 to 63.6 percent in 2023-2024.
The Union Health Ministry said that NFHS-6 records continuous progress in women’s digital inclusion and financial empowerment.
The use of menstrual hygiene methods among women aged 15-24 rose from 77.6 per cent in 2019-21 to 79.2 per cent in 2023-24, supported by initiatives such as the Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karikram menstrual hygiene scheme, and affordable sanitary products under the Janushadhi scheme.
The Ministry indicated that these initiatives enhanced awareness, ease of access, and adoption of safe hygiene practices during menstruation.
She added, “The results reflect steady gains in the areas of maternal and child health, nutrition, women’s empowerment, and access to basic services.”
Meanwhile, the ministry said emerging challenges such as rising non-communicable diseases, lifestyle-related risks, double burden of undernutrition and rising obesity among adults highlight the need to continue focusing on preventive healthcare, behavior change and balanced nutrition strategies.
Overall, the results confirm India’s steady progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, she added.
“With a continued focus on convergence, bottom-line delivery and inclusive growth, India is well positioned to sustain these gains and continue improving the health and well-being of its population,” he stated.
The NFHS-6 was conducted during 2023-24 by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai, as the nodal agency.
Covering nearly 6.79 lakh households in 715 districts, the survey provides vital evidence on population, health, nutrition and household well-being indicators and supports evidence-based planning and program implementation up to the district level.
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