Published May 30, 2026 | 11:36 AM ⚊ Updated May 30, 2026 | 11:36 AM
Violence against women. Representative image. (iStock)
Synopsis: NFHS-6 shows reported instances of spousal violence against married women declined nationally from 29.2% to 22.3%, but Kerala bucked the trend with a sharp increase from 9.8% to 17.7%. Telangana remained among the worst-affected states, with 30.8% of women reporting abuse, while Karnataka recorded one of India’s steepest declines.
Reported instances of domestic violence against married women has declined significantly across India over the past few years, but the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) reveals that the problem remains widespread, with Telangana continuing to rank among the worst-affected states and Kerala emerging as one of the few states where spousal violence has increased sharply, based on reported instances.
According to NFHS-6, 22.3 percent of ever-married women aged 18-49 reported experiencing physical, sexual or emotional violence from their spouse, down from 29.2 percent in NFHS-5. The decline of 6.9 percentage points marks a significant improvement at the national level, but state-level data reveal starkly different trajectories across the country.
While most states recorded reductions, Kerala saw reported cases of spousal violence rise from 9.8 percent to 17.7 percent, one of the largest increases in the survey. Telangana, despite recording a decline, continues to report one of the highest prevalence rates in India, with nearly one in three ever-married women reporting violence by their spouse.
The findings are part of NFHS-6 conducted during 2023-24 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, and provide one of the most comprehensive snapshots of women’s health, welfare and safety in the country.
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Despite an improvement since the previous survey, Telangana continues to report alarmingly high levels of domestic violence.
The survey found that 30.8 percent of ever-married women aged 18-49 in Telangana experienced spousal violence, down from 37.2 percent in NFHS-5. While the decline of 6.4 percent points broadly mirrors the national trend, the state’s prevalence remains far above the national average of 22.3 percent.
The burden is particularly severe in rural Telangana.
About 33 percent of rural women reported experiencing violence from their spouse, compared with 24.8 percent in urban areas.
The figures mean that nearly one in three married women in the state continues to experience violence within marriage despite improvements over the past few years.
Among the larger states, only Bihar reported a higher prevalence at 36.1 percent.
Tamil Nadu also remained among the highest-burden states, with 28.5 percent of women reporting spousal violence, while Uttar Pradesh recorded an identical prevalence of 28.5 percent.
Andhra Pradesh reported 22.7 percent, close to the national average and substantially lower than Telangana.
One of the most striking findings in NFHS-6 is Kerala’s reversal.
The state recorded a prevalence of 17.7 percent, up from 9.8 percent in NFHS-5, representing an increase of 7.9 percent points.
This is among the largest increases reported by any major state in the country.
The rise is particularly noteworthy because Kerala has traditionally ranked among the better-performing states across several health and social indicators, including literacy, maternal health, institutional deliveries and healthcare access.
The survey found that spousal violence in Kerala was more common in rural areas, where 19.7 percent of women reported abuse, compared with 15.6 percent in urban areas.
Kerala was not alone in recording an increase.
Lakshadweep reported the largest increase nationally, rising from 1.3 percent to 10.2 percent, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu recorded an increase from 16.8 percent to 19.9 percent.
Goa also reported a rise from 8.3 percent to 11.3 percent.
However, among major states, Kerala’s increase stands out because it runs directly counter to the broader national trend.
While Kerala moved in the opposite direction, Karnataka recorded one of the most dramatic improvements in the country.
The prevalence of spousal violence in the state fell from 44.4 percent in NFHS-5 to 14.1 percent in NFHS-6.
The decline of 30.3 percentage points is among the largest reductions reported nationwide.
The fall transformed Karnataka from one of the worst-performing states in the previous survey into one of the better-performing major states in the latest round.
The reasons behind such a dramatic decline are not immediately evident from the survey and may require further examination by researchers and policymakers.
Assam also recorded a substantial reduction, with prevalence falling from 32.2 percent to 16.2 percent, while Odisha reported a decline from 30.3 percent to 18.9 percent.
Tamil Nadu recorded a reduction of 9.6 percentage points, while Andhra Pradesh reported a decline of 7.2 percentage points.
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The survey highlights a persistent rural-urban divide in domestic violence.
Nationally, 24.4 percent of rural women reported experiencing spousal violence compared with 17.5 percent in urban areas.
The pattern was visible across many states.
In Bihar, 37 percent of rural women reported spousal violence compared with 31.2 percent of urban women.
In Telangana, the gap was even wider, with rural prevalence at 33 percent and urban prevalence at 24.8 percent.
Tamil Nadu reported 32.4 percent in rural areas and 23.9 percent in urban areas.
Uttar Pradesh recorded 30.7 percent among rural women and 20.7 percent among urban women.
The data suggest that domestic violence remains deeply embedded in social and family structures in many rural communities despite broader improvements in health and economic indicators.
NFHS-6 also examined experiences of sexual violence before the age of 18 among young women aged 18-29.
The survey found that the national prevalence declined from 1.2 percent in NFHS-5 to 0.7 percent in NFHS-6.
Most states reported either declines or very low prevalence.
Andhra Pradesh reported no cases in the survey sample, compared with 0.8 percent in NFHS-5.
Telangana reported 0.6 percent, down from 0.8 percent.
West Bengal recorded one of the highest prevalence rates at 1.3 percent, while Bihar reported 2.1 percent, the highest among major states.
Uttarakhand emerged as one of the few states where prevalence increased, rising from 0.3 percent to 1.1 percent.
Although the percentages appear small, experts caution that even low prevalence translates into a substantial number of affected individuals given India’s population size.
The survey also measured physical violence during pregnancy, one of the most serious forms of domestic abuse because of its potential consequences for both mothers and unborn children.
Nationally, prevalence declined from 3.1 percent to 2.7 percent.
Telangana recorded a reduction from 4 percent to 2.7 percent, while Andhra Pradesh reported a decline from 3.8 percent to 1.9 percent.
Karnataka also saw improvement, with prevalence falling from 5.8 percent to 2.9 percent.
However, several states recorded increases.
Bihar reported the highest prevalence among major states at 5.4 percent, almost double its NFHS-5 level of 2.8 percent.
Uttarakhand saw an increase from 2.1 percent to 3.5 percent, while Kerala reported a rise from 0.5 percent to 1.7 percent.
Haryana also recorded an increase from 1.6 percent to 2.6 percent.
The findings suggest that while overall progress has been made, violence against women during pregnancy remains a significant concern in several parts of the country.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
