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India Pregnancy & Maternal Health Statistics (2026): 38 Verified Numbers

38 statistics on maternal mortality, antenatal care, anaemia, C-section rates, and breastfeeding in India and Kerala — each sourced to NFHS-5, NFHS-6, the SRS, or the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, with dates and links.

September 14, 2026
India Pregnancy & Maternal Health Statistics (2026): 38 Verified Numbers

This page collects 38 verified statistics on pregnancy and maternal health in India — maternal mortality, antenatal care, anaemia, delivery and C-section rates, breastfeeding, and child nutrition — with a Kerala comparison throughout. Every number is traced to a primary or primary-adjacent source: the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5 and NFHS-6), the Sample Registration System (SRS) Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality, or the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW). Each entry links to that source and is dated. This page is reviewed quarterly.

Last verified: September 2026. Compiled by the Mommy: Pregnancy & Postpartum team, pregnancycare.app.

Key takeaways

  1. 88 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births is India’s current national MMR — down 78% from 398 in 1998.
  2. 30 per 100,000 is Kerala’s MMR — about a third of the national rate, and among the lowest of any Indian state.
  3. 27.5% of all births in India are now by C-section — more than 1 in 4, up from 20.1% five years ago.
  4. 41.3% of births in Kerala are by C-section — well above the national rate.
  5. 52.2% of pregnant women in India are anaemic (haemoglobin under 11.0 g/dL).
  6. 88.6% of births in India now happen in a medical facility, up nearly 10 points in one survey cycle.
  7. 99.7% of births in Kerala happen in a medical facility — near-universal.
  8. 70% of pregnant Indian women register for antenatal care in the first trimester, as recommended.
  9. Only 58.1% complete the recommended 4+ antenatal checkups nationally.
  10. 50.1% of Indian newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth — Kerala’s rate is 82.3%.
  11. 7.9% of Indian women aged 15–19 are already mothers or pregnant.
  12. 29.3% of Indian children under 5 are stunted, against 20.1% in Kerala.

National. India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 88 deaths per 100,000 live births. Source: Sample Registration System (SRS) Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality, 2021–23, via Data For India, reporting SRS 2021–23. Based on roughly 500,000 tracked live births.

Trend. That figure has fallen 78% since 1998, when India’s MMR stood at 398 per 100,000. Source: SRS Special Bulletin, via Data For India (link above).

Trend. MMR was 97 per 100,000 as recently as 2018–20, and 103 the survey cycle before that. Source: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, PIB press release, Dec 17, 2024.

Global context. India’s MMR of 88 is now below the global average of 197 per 100,000 live births, but still above the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of under 70 by 2030. Source: SRS Special Bulletin 2021–23, via Data For India (link above).

Kerala. Kerala’s MMR is 30 per 100,000 live births — tied with Andhra Pradesh for among the lowest of any Indian state, and about a third of the national rate. Source: SRS Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality 2021–23, via Data For India (link above).

National. India’s infant mortality rate (IMR) is 28 deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 32 in 2018. Source: MoHFW, PIB press release, Dec 17, 2024.

How much antenatal care are pregnant women in India actually getting?

National. 70% of pregnant women register for antenatal care in their first trimester, as recommended — up 11.4 points from the previous survey. Source: National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), 2019–21, via NFHS-5 Key Insights, UNFPA India.

National. Only 58.1% complete the WHO-recommended four or more antenatal checkups, up 7 points from NFHS-4. Source: NFHS-5, via UNFPA India (link above).

National. 78% of new mothers receive a postnatal care visit, up 15.6 points from the previous survey. Source: NFHS-5, via UNFPA India (link above).

Kerala. 94.9% of pregnant women in Kerala have at least one antenatal visit; 88.6% complete 4 or more; 85.5% register in the first trimester. Source: NFHS-6 (2023–24), reported by The Week, June 2026.

Kerala. 92% of pregnant women in Kerala take iron-folic acid tablets for 100+ days, the recommended course. Source: NFHS-6, via The Week (link above).

How common is anaemia in pregnancy in India?

National. More than half of pregnant women in India — 52.2% — are anaemic (haemoglobin under 11.0 g/dL). Source: NFHS-5 (2019–21), via UNFPA India.

National. Among all women aged 15–49, anaemia prevalence has risen to 57%, up from 53.1% in the previous survey. Source: NFHS-5, via UNFPA India (link above).

National. Young women aged 15–19 are hit hardest: 59.1% are anaemic. Source: NFHS-5, via UNFPA India (link above).

Where do Indian women give birth, and how?

National. 88.6% of births in India now happen in a health facility, up 9.8 points from the previous survey — 61.9% of those in public facilities, up from 52.1%. Source: NFHS-5, via UNFPA India.

Kerala. 99.7% of births in Kerala happen in a medical facility, with 99.8% attended by skilled birth staff — near-universal. Source: NFHS-6 (2023–24), via The Week.

National. C-sections now account for 27.5% of all births in India — more than 1 in 4 — up from 20.1% just five years earlier. Source: MoHFW data obtained via RTI (2024–25), reported by Dataful.

State variation. Sikkim has India’s highest C-section rate at 62.8%; several southern states, including Kerala, sit well above the national average. Source: MoHFW via RTI, reported by Dataful (link above).

Kerala. Kerala’s C-section rate is 41.3%, up from 38.9% in the previous survey. Source: NFHS-6, via The Week (link above).

How are Indian newborns fed in the first hours and months?

National. 50.1% of newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth, up from 41.8% in the prior survey. Source: NFHS-6 (2023–24), reported by ThePrint.

National. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months sits at 55.8% — a decline from 63.7% in NFHS-5. Source: NFHS-6, via ThePrint (link above).

Kerala. Kerala outperforms the national figures by a wide margin: 82.3% breastfed within the first hour, and 72.7% exclusively breastfed to 6 months. Source: NFHS-6, via The Week.

How well-nourished are children under 5 in India?

National. Stunting (low height-for-age) affects 29.3% of children under 5, down from 35.5% in NFHS-5. Source: NFHS-6 (2023–24), via ThePrint.

National. Severe wasting affects 5.2% of children under 5, down from 7.7%; 31.8% are underweight. Source: NFHS-6, via ThePrint (link above).

Kerala. Kerala’s rates are markedly lower: 20.1% stunting, 10.9% wasting, 17.8% underweight. Source: NFHS-6, via The Week.

How does teenage and overall fertility look in India?

National. 7.9% of women aged 15–19 are already mothers or currently pregnant — a marginal decline of about 1 point from the previous survey. Source: NFHS-5 (2019–21), via UNFPA India.

National. India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 2.0 births per woman, down from 2.2 in the previous survey — now at replacement level. Source: NFHS-5, via Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, PIB, Dec 2024.

This page is a reference compilation of publicly reported statistics for general informational purposes. It is not medical advice. Figures are cited as reported by the primary agency (NFHS, SRS, MoHFW) or, where the underlying government report was not directly accessible, by the news outlet linked above. Always verify the latest figures against the primary source before citing them elsewhere.