Exclusive breastfeeding rate in India
India: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 58.0% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in India, 1993–2018
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
India recorded 58.0% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.7% on the previous year and up 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in India peaked at 58.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 2000.
India ranks 19th of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 46.4% | 46.0% | 46.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 41.7% | 37.0% | 46.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 56.4% | 54.9% | 58.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
More reference data data for India
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Frequently asked questions
- What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in India?
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate in India was 58.0% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 58.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 2000.
- How does India rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
- India ranks 19th out of 72 countries with data for 2018.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.