Demographic transition and population ageing in India: Implications on the elderly of the future

Abstract

Ageing population of India will transform into the elderly in future. The issue of

health of the elderly population in India has arrested the attention of health

policy makers and the researchers, in the recent past. Demographic structure,

quality of life, healthcare services and government planning have serious

implications on the ageing population. The objective of the research article is

to systematically and critically evaluate the impact of demographic transition,

projected demographic indicators and changing population characteristics on

the health status of the elderly persons living in India in the coming decades.

Analysis and discussions are based on secondary data published by the Ministry

of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India. The results indicate

that India will be an ageing nation in the coming years and improvements in

health, education and government planning are likely to enhance the life

expectancy of the elderly, while the share of children will reduce, suggesting an

increase in dependency of the older persons on the adult population. The

article provides insights into workable solutions and suggests key

recommendations to attain faster demographic dividend. India would be

competing with the pressure of a dramatic demographic bulge in future.