55% of children aged 5-9 in Nagaland have high triglycerides, says government report

DIMAPUR — More than half of children aged 5-9 in Nagaland are estimated to have high triglycerides, according to a government report released this week.

The prevalence in the state is at 55 per cent, placing it among the highest in the country along with West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and Assam.

Overall, the report estimates that over a third of India’s children in this age group could be living with high triglycerides, a type of blood fat linked to increased risk of heart disease later in life.

The highest prevalence was found in West Bengal (67 per cent), Sikkim (64 per cent), Assam (57 per cent), Nagaland (55 per cent), and Jammu and Kashmir (50 per cent). By contrast, states such as Kerala (16.6 per cent) and Maharashtra (19.1 per cent) reported the lowest prevalence.

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The findings were published in Children in India 2025, the fourth edition of the report since its inception in 2008, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation during the 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organisations (CoCSSO) on September 25 in Chandigarh.

According to the ministry, the report “provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the well-being of children in the country,” drawing on data from government departments and surveys, including the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 and the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18.

On infant health, the report identified prematurity and low birth weight as the leading causes of death among newborns in the first 29 days of life, with national prevalence estimated at 48 per cent. Birth asphyxia (not getting enough oxygen) and trauma during birth accounted for 16 per cent, while pneumonia was responsible for nine per cent.

About five per cent of adolescents across India were classified as hypertensive. The highest prevalence was reported in Delhi (10 per cent), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8.6 per cent), Manipur (8.3 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (7 per cent).

The report also estimated that 16 per cent of adolescents in the country have high triglycerides.

In the section on education, the report noted that 63.1 per cent of children and adolescents in India are literate, with the literacy rate rising to 73.1 per cent among those aged seven and above.

Among boys, literacy stood at 80 per cent in the 7-9 age group, 92 per cent in the 10-14 age group, and 91 per cent in the 15-19 age group. For girls, the corresponding figures were 81.2 percent, 90 percent, and 86.2 percent, respectively.

The report also compiled data on “education and development” as well as “crimes involving children and child protection.”