National Health Profile 2018

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National Health Profile 2018
Executive Summary
A healthy population can undoubtedly contribute to economic growth and development of a country. India has
made considerable progress in many health indicators. Life expectancy at birth has increased4, infant mortality5
and crude death rates6 have been greatly reduced, diseases such as small pox, polio and guinea worm have
been eradicated, and leprosy has been nearly eliminated. The country strives towards achieving Universal Health
Coverage.
India accounts for a relatively large share of the world’s disease burden and is undergoing an epidemiological
transition that the non-communicable diseases dominate over communicable in the total disease burden of the
country. In a recent report of India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), titled India: Health of the Nation’s States:
The India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative(2017), it is observed that the disease burden due to communicable,
maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases, asmeasured usingDisability-adjusted life years (DALYs), dropped from
61 per cent to 33 per cent between 1990 and 2016. In the same period, disease burden from non-communicable
diseases increased from 30 per cent to 55 per cent. The epidemiological transition, however, varies widely among
Indian states: 48% to 75% for non-communicable diseases, 14% to 43% for infectious and associated diseases, and
9% to 14% for injuries.
National Health Profile (NHP), published annually since 2005, brings together all health related information in
a single platform. It has six chapters covering Demographic, Socio-Economic, Health Status and Health Finance
Indicators, Human Resources in Health Sector and Health Infrastructure. Importantly, it is a major source of
information on various communicable and non-communicable diseases that are not covered under any other
major programmes.
Population Statistics: As per Census 2011, the total population of India is 1210.8 million with a decadal growth
rate of 17.7 per cent. While 31.14 per cent of the population lives in urban areas, the rest lives in rural areas. The
Sex Ratio (number of females per 1000 males) in the country has improved from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011. In
rural areas the sex ratio has increased from 946 to 949. The corresponding increase in urban areas has been of
29 points from 900 to 929. Kerala has recorded the highest sex ratio in respect of total population (1084), rural
population (1078) and urban (1091). The lowest sex ratio in rural areas has been recorded in Chandigarh (690).
While 28.5% population of India lies between 0-14 age group, only 8.3% are above the age of 60 years.
Vital Statistics: Estimated birth rate, death rate and natural growth rate are showing a declining trend. Estimated
birth rate declined from 25.8 in 2000 to 20.4 in 2016 while the death rate declined from 8.5 to 6.4 per 1000
population over the same period. The natural growth rate declined from 17.3 in 2000 to 14 in 2016 as per the
latest available information.
The SRS (2016) shows that the Total Fertility Rate – the average number of children that will be born to a woman
during her lifetime – in 12 States has fallen below two children per woman and 9 States have reached replacements
levels of 2.1 and above. Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have lowest fertility among other countries. Fertility
is declining rapidly, including among the poor and illiterate.
The literacy rate of the country has shown an increase of 8.2% during the decade 2001-2011. Overall literacy rate
of India is 73.0% whereas for males it is 80.9% and for females it is 64.6%. Rural literacy rate is 67.8% and urban
4 SELECTED SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATISTICS INDIA -2002 , CSO, Ministry of Statistics & PI
5
6 SRS Bulletin
XII