India’s demographic profile is a young one compared to most other countries, but it will soon be showing more grey around the edges. The over-60 age category is expected to nearly double as a share of the total population within the next three decades.
This trend has a multitude of implications for policymaking and state budgeting. These include the need for strengthened and financially sustainable pension regimes, equitable access to improved healthcare systems, expanded caregiving facilities and services for older persons, and incorporation of universal accessibility into infrastructure. As “older” countries have shown, India is likely to experience lower productivity and slower growth as its average age creeps upward.
Not all the elderly in India’s future will experience aging with the same resources and chances in life. Women, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes confront inequalities in access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities, and overall wellbeing and security. These disadvantaged groups will encounter greater challenges than others as senior citizens if they lack basic means to live and access to essential services.
Aging India has a Woman’s Face
Indian society’s longstanding preference for boys over girls, reflected in sex-selective…
