Updated: December 14, 2020 10:42:58 am
On average, fewer than 3 in 10 women in rural India and 4 in 10 women in urban India ever used the Internet, according to the survey. (Archive)
There IS an urban-rural gap, as well as a gender gap regarding Internet use in 22 states and union territories, according to data compiled by the 5th National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
On average, fewer than 3 in 10 women in rural India and 4 in 10 women in urban India ever used the Internet, according to the survey.
In 2019, for the first time, the NFHS-5, which collects data on key indicators of population health, family planning, and nutrition, sought details on two specific indicators: Percentage of women and men who have ever used the Internet.
An analysis of the data from The Indian Express reveals a revealing pattern in the key indicator of Internet use in the country. First, only an average of 42.6 percent of women ever used the Internet, compared to an average of 62.16 percent among men; second, in urban areas in India, an average of 56.81 percent of women ever used the Internet compared to an average of 73.76 percent among men; and third, a pitiful 33.94% of women in rural India ever used the Internet, compared to 55.6% of men.
Data for the 22 states and territories of the union were collected from 3.07 lakh households.
In urban India, 10 states and three union territories reported that more than 50% of women had ever used the Internet: Goa (78.1%), Himachal Pradesh (78.9%), Kerala (64.9 %), Maharashtra (54.3%), Manipur (50.8%), Meghalaya (57.8%), Mizoram (83.8%), Nagaland (66.5%), Sikkim (90%), J&K (55%), Ladakh (66.5%) and Lakshwadeep (61.80%).
The five states that reported the lowest percentage of women who ever used the Internet in urban India were Andhra Pradesh (33.9%), Bihar (38.4%), Tripura (36.6%), Telangana (43, 9%) and Gujarat (48.9%).
The percentage of women who ever used the Internet dropped significantly in rural India. Only three states and one union territory reported more than 50 percent of women who had used the internet: Goa (68.3%), Kerala (57.5%), Sikkim (68.1%), and Ladakh (54% ).
The five states that reported the lowest percentage of women who ever used the Internet in rural India were: West Bengal (14%), Andhra Pradesh (15.4%), Telangana (15.8%), Tripura ( 17.7%) and Bihar (17%).
In urban areas of India, Tripura (47%) is the only state that reported that less than 50% of men had ever used the Internet. The worst performing states in urban India for men were Bihar (58.4%), Meghalaya (59.2%), West Bengal (64.6%), Andhra Pradesh (65.1%) and Assam (67 ,4%).
In rural India, only eight states reported that more than 50% of men had ever used the Internet: Goa (76.6%), Himachal Pradesh (65.1%), Karnataka (55.6%), Kerala (74.2%), Manipur (68.2%)%), Mizoram (63.9%), Nagaland (55.2%) and Sikkim (69.5%). The five worst performing states in urban India for men were Assam (37.8%), West Bengal (38.3%), Meghalaya (38.5%), Bihar (39.4%) and Andhra Pradesh ( 41.5%).
The NFHS-5 provides an indicator for monitoring 30 Sustainable Development Goals that the country intends to achieve by 2030. In phase 1, the survey provided data on 131 key indicators from 22 states and territories of the union, with special emphasis on maternal aspects and children’s health.
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