Margao: Nearly half of Goa's population is now overweight or obese, a sharp rise that underscores the state's deepening lifestyle disease burden. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) 2023-24, released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare, states that 43.6% of men and 45.1% of women in Goa have a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 kg/m² or above, against national averages of 27.3% for men and 30.7% for women. In NFHS-5 (2019-21), the corresponding figures stood at 32.6% for men and 36.1% for women, indicating a steep upward trend.
Blood Sugar Levels Soar
The obesity surge is accompanied by equally concerning data on blood sugar. As per the survey, 32.1% of men and 27.5% of women in Goa have blood sugar levels above 140 mg/dl or are taking medication to control blood sugar—far exceeding national averages of 20.9% for men and 17.8% for women. Goa's 32.1% prevalence among men is the highest in the country, with Kerala following closely at 31.9%. Kerala, however, reported marginally higher levels among women at 28.9%, against Goa's 27.5%. In NFHS-5, the corresponding figures for Goa stood at 24.1% for men and 20.8% for women—an increase of eight percentage points among men and nearly seven percentage points among women in just a few years.
Hypertension Rates Remain High
On hypertension, 27.5% of men in Goa have elevated blood pressure or are on medication to control it, against a national average of 22.1%. Among women, 26.2% report elevated blood pressure or are on medication, against the national figure of 19.4%. In NFHS-5, the corresponding figures for Goa were 26.8% for men and 27.5% for women—suggesting women's hypertension has remained largely static.
Caesarean Section Rates Climb
Goa's caesarean section rate stands at 46.2% of all births—among the highest in the country and sharply higher than the national average of 27.2%. In private health facilities, the rate climbs to 69.7%, against a national average of 54.1% for private facilities. In NFHS-5, Goa's overall C-section rate was 39.5%, indicating a further rise of nearly seven percentage points.
Positive Maternal and Child Health Indicators
Against these concerns, Goa's maternal and child health indicators remain among the strongest in the country. Institutional births stand at 99.6%. Around 92.1% of mothers had their antenatal check-up in the first trimester, well above the national average of 76.2%. Full vaccination coverage for children aged 12-23 months reached 93.8%, up from 81.9% in the previous survey.
Child Malnutrition Declines
Child malnutrition has also declined measurably. The proportion of children under five who are stunted dropped to 19.4% from 25.8% in NFHS-5, and the severely wasted fell from 7.5% to 2.4%.
Demographic Ageing Sharpens
The survey also captures Goa's sharpening demographic ageing. Those aged 60 and above now constitute 17.2% of Goa's population, up from 14.2% in NFHS-5.
Gender Indicators: Mixed Picture
On gender indicators, Goa shows a mixed picture. The proportion of ever-married women who reported experiencing spousal violence rose to 11.3%, up from 8.3% in NFHS-5. Alcohol consumption among men has, however, dropped sharply — from 36.8% in NFHS-5 to 22.4% in NFHS-6. The total fertility rate in Goa stands at 1.6 children per woman, with a rural rate of 1.8 compared to an urban rate of 1.4.
