Guest Post: Good News: The Return of the Demographic and Health Surveys
Today's guest post is from Bobrary Bordelon about the DHS program, including some history, the importance of this work, and the news on continued data collection.
With many surveys being discontinued and the staffs of many of the nation’s statistical offices being greatly reduced if not eliminated, good news came on January 23, 2026, that the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program was being continued.
Launched in 1984 to continue and expand upon the work of the World Fertility Survey, DHS is a rich source for data on fertility and demographics and greatly expanded questions on health. The survey collects nationally representative data on family planning, fertility, gender, malaria, and nutrition in over 90 countries -- many of which do not have their own surveys or ability to collect this data on their own. The program concluded its eighth survey round. The goal is to work with each participating country at least once during a round. Each round typically lasts 6 years; though the 8th round lasted 8 years due to a disruption by the Covid-19 pandemic.
DHS was largely funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with assistance from UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, and national governments. On January 20, 2025 it was announced that USAID was being eliminated and on July 1, 2025 the agency completely shut down. The future of DHS was very uncertain and for several months, data was unavailable. The Data Rescue Project saved the summary data and deposited in DataLumos but microdata required approval and was not able to be saved by the Data Rescue Project. IPUMS had the microdata but also required approval to release. Knowing that previous data is once again fully available and data will continue to be collected is a sigh of relief to researchers and policy makers internationally. The data has been used in over 6,000 journal articles.
A household questionnaire collects information on characteristics of the household's dwelling unit and characteristics of usual residents and visitors. In a majority of DHS surveys, people eligible for individual interview include women of reproductive age (15-49) and men age 15-49, 15-54, or 15-59. A biomarker questionnaire collects data on anthropometry, anemia, and HIV. Interviews are conducted only if the respondent provides voluntary informed consent. The modules have changed with each round.
Socio-demographics collected on each household member include age, sex, relationship to the head of the household, education, parental survivorship and residence, birth registration, and media exposure. Household characteristics include the source of drinking water, toilet facilities, cooking fuel, household assets, and exposure to second-hand smoke. In areas with a high prevalence of malaria, questions are asked about the use of mosquito nets. Women are asked about reproductive behavior and intentions; antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care; breastfeeding and nutrition; children's health; and about various aspects of women's empowerment (including decision making, autonomy, ownership of houses and land, barriers to medical care, attitudes towards domestic violence). Men are asked similar but fewer questions including employment and gender roles; and various health issues such as circumcision, injections, and health and care for their children. Both sexes are asked about contraceptive use; health insurance; tobacco use; and knowledge of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Optional modules address additional topics including disability; female genital cutting; food insecurity; Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination; mental health; and out-of-pocket health expenditures.
While it is great news that the primary data from DHS is once again available and new data collection is underway, not all programs are funded. For more information on current funding and what is being maintained and ways to help see News about the DHS Program.
