According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare report from the latest National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5), individuals in urban India appear to be sicker than individuals in rural India, in terms of the nutritional status and diseases such as anemia, diabetes and hypertension. This survey gathered information from 636,699 households, 724,115 women, and 101,839 men, between June 2019 and April 2021, providing data on key health indicators.

The key findings were as follows:

• Proportion of men and women with mildly/moderately/severely (≥140 mm Hg/ ≥90 mm Hg or 140-159 mm Hg/90-99 mm Hg or ≥160 mm Hg / ≥100 mm Hg) elevated blood pressure or taking medication to control blood pressure was significantly higher in urban areas than rural areas.
• Percentage of men and women with high blood sugar levels (>140 mg/dl or >160 mg/dl) was greater in urban areas when compared to men and women in rural areas.
• A greater percentage of children, men, and women from urban areas were found to be anemic and showed a greater decline in nutritional status and body mass index, when compared to rural areas.
• Rate of prevalence of childhood diseases was also observed to be higher in urban areas than rural areas. 

These key findings from the above survey suggest that health of individuals is worsening in urban areas when compared to rural areas, with greater prevalence of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension in particular.