Telangana records the highest C-section rate in India; almost 6 out of 10 babies born via surgery

The baby is born by caesarean section. | Photo credit: Representative photo

Although Telangana outperforms the national average in several indicators of maternal health care and has almost achieved universal institutional deliveries, nearly six out of every 10 births in the state are now delivered by caesarean section, the highest number recorded in the country. These are the findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The survey found that 98.8% of births in Telangana take place in health facilities, much higher than the national average of 90.6%. At the same time, 62.2% of births in the state are by C-section, more than double the national average of 27.2%.

The findings of NFHS-6 show that the caesarean section rate in Telangana has increased from 60.7% recorded during NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 62.2% in the latest survey. No other state or Union Territory reported a higher proportion of caesarean births in the NFHS-6 Fact Sheets.

Neighboring Andhra Pradesh recorded the second highest C-section rate in the country at 52.2%, while Nagaland reported one of the lowest rates at 13.2%.

According to the survey, 83.9% of deliveries in private health facilities in Telangana were delivered by caesarean section. The national average for private hospitals was 54.1%. Government facilities in Telangana also reported a caesarean section rate of 48.1%, almost three times the national average of 16.9% in public hospitals.

Maternal health care indicators in Telangana continue to remain higher than national averages. According to the survey, 89.6% of mothers in Telangana registered for antenatal care (ANC) during the first trimester of pregnancy compared to 76.2% nationally. Almost all mothers in the state, 99.2%, received antenatal care during pregnancy, while 80.3% had at least four antenatal care visits. Nationally, 95.9% of mothers received prenatal care and only 65.2% received four prenatal visits.

Telangana also reported better coverage of iron and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. While 81% of mothers in Telangana consumed iron and folic acid tablets for at least 100 days, the national average was 54.9%. Similarly, 55.7% of mothers in Telangana consumed supplements for at least 180 days compared to 37.8% nationally.

The state also saw improvements in several indicators of child health. 92.3% of mothers and 93% of newborns received postnatal care within two days after delivery. Indicators of childhood diseases showed improvement, with the prevalence of diarrhea in children under five years falling to 4.5% and symptoms of acute respiratory infection falling to 0.4%.

Children’s nutritional indicators have also improved. Stunting among children under the age of five decreased from 33.1% in NFHS-5 to 27%, while wasting decreased from 21.7% to 16.9%. The prevalence of underweight decreased from 31.8% to 27.8%.

Published – 29 May 2026 20:18 IST