The population of elderly folks in India is set to grow to 22.7 crore, making up 14.9 percent of the population by 2036, according to the latest UNFPA report released on 28 September.
The report, titled Caring for our elders: Institutional response-India Ageing Report 2023, added that current projections show that India is likely to have more elderly people than children (aged 0 to 15 years) by 2046.
Read on to know what challenges lie ahead, and how India can navigate the impending demographic shift.
Key findings of the report:
By the end of the century, the elderly will constitute over 36 percent of the total population of India.
While the population of older people grows, the share in the population of those aged between 15 and 59 will see a dip by 2045.
The report projects that the population of people aged above 80 years will grow at a rate of around 279 percent between 2022 and 2050.
Over 40 percent of the elderly in India fall in the poorest wealth quintile.
18.7 percent of the elderly don't have a source of income.
Women will make up a larger portion of the elderly population in India.
The report finds that females in India have higher life expectancy at 19 more years past 60 years, as compared to males at 17.5 years.
A notable point: There is considerable variation in the age structure and the rate of population growth between different states.
Most of southern states and select northern states such as Himachal Pradesh and Punjab already have a higher share of elderly population than the national average. This gap that is expected to widen by 2036.
What they're saying: "Older persons have contributed significantly to society, and they deserve nothing less than our best efforts to ensure their well-being," said Andrea M Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative and Country Director, Bhutan.
The big picture: The report also highlights some challenges that India need to tackle in the face of this. The three main challenges underscored in the report are,
Higher levels of widowhood, sociocultural and economic dependency, and loneliness among elderly women.
"Elderly widowed women are often alone with little support and also experience greater incidence of morbidities that are functionally restricting."UNFPA Report
A high proportion of rural population of the elderly left without an adequate support system.
"Large parts of rural India are still remote with poor road and transport access. Income insecurity, lack of access to adequate and quality healthcare and isolation are, therefore, more acute for the rural elderly than their urban counterparts," reads the report.
The way forward: The report puts forth a number of policy suggestions that can be implemented by the government and community, as well as at the public and private spheres. Some of them include,
A framework for financial and technical support.
Contractual arrangement with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in elder care.
Capacity building and engagement at grassroots levels.
Special focus on older persons in disaster
preparedness plans.
Strengthening data system on population ageing.
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