Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

By the end of the century, the elderly will constitute nearly thirty-four percent of the total population in the country. The ageing population poses serious challenges in terms of feminisation of ageing. More and more elderly in India are in rural areas and the current paper explores the inter-state variation of ageing and the socio-economic challenges that it poses. Methods data from Census 2011 was analysed for the current paper. The overall old-age dependency ratio shows that there are over fourteen elderly per 100 working-age population, with significant variations across states. The data further suggests that 71% of the elderly live in rural India which is remote with poor roads and transport access. Income insecurity, lack of adequate access to quality health care, and isolation are more acute for the rural elderly. Further in 2014, the prevalence of acute morbidity increased from 30% in the age group sixty to sixty-nine years to 37% for the eighty-plus group. The cost of the health care during old age appears to be very high and this in turn increases the out of pocket expenditure on health care particularly when private facilities are availed of. The practical implication of ageing on India is far reaching. The population is increasing and the resources are limited and perceived social priorities lies elsewhere. Hence, it is needed to advocate and raise awareness of policy makers about multiple issues related to ageing in India.