NFHS-6 reports rising tobacco and alcohol consumption in Nagaland, alongside declining access to improved drinking water sources
Share
KOHIMA — Nagaland recorded an increase in tobacco and alcohol consumption among adults aged 15 years and above during 2023-24 compared to 2019-21, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) 2023-24, released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in May 2026.
The survey showed that the proportion of women aged 15 years and above using any form of tobacco increased from 13.7% in 2019-21 to 17.4% in 2023-24, with the prevalence standing at 22.8% in urban areas and 14.2% in rural areas. Among men, tobacco use rose from 48.4% to 51.2%, including 52.8% in urban areas and 50.3% in rural areas.
Alcohol consumption also registered an increase during the same period. The percentage of women aged 15 years and above consuming alcohol rose from 0.9% to 1.6%, including 2% in urban areas and 1.4% in rural areas. Among men, alcohol consumption increased from 23.9% in 2019-21 to 26.9% in 2023-24, with 28% in urban areas and 26.3% in rural areas reporting alcohol use.
Also read: Nagaland bans gutkha, tobacco-mixed food products for one year
Population and household profile
According to NFHS-6, the proportion of Nagaland's population living in households with an improved drinking water source declined from 91% in 2019-21 to 82.7% in 2023-24.
A comparison of data from NFHS-5 (2019-21 and NFHS-6 (2023-24 also shows that the population below five years of age increased from 7.5% to 7.8%, while the population below 15 years declined from 25.3% to 24.7%. The proportion of people aged 60 years and above increased from **10.7% to 12.4%.
Read more: Urban Nagaland records higher overweight, obesity rates — NFHS-6
The share of the population living in households with electricity improved from 98.6% to 99.3%, while households using iodised salt marginally declined from 98.9% to 98.5%.
The percentage of households with at least one usual member covered under a health insurance or financing scheme saw a sharp rise from 22% to 66.1%, while households with at least one usual member having a bank or post office account increased from 91.7% to 96.8%.
The proportion of females aged six years and above who had ever attended school increased slightly from 85.2% to 85.6%. However, households with any usual female member owning a house or land, either alone or jointly, declined from 13.7% to 11.6%. The percentage of children aged 2-4 years attending pre-school also fell from 16.4% to 15.1%.