Ageing Population

China reported that its population declined for a third consecutive year in 2024, sliding by nearly 1.4 million to 1.408 billion.

More and more nations are facing both the challenge of a shrinking population and an ageing population, where younger generations tend to have fewer children and advancements in healthcare help people live longer.

India’s Aged Population and Aging Population Problems

An aging population is a population with more old people compared to the young. This is as a result of declining fertility rates and increased life expectancy.

• Causes
  • Declining fertility rates: As fertility rates are high, the population levels are balanced along age groups, but when fertility rates decline, the population changes to older ages.
  • Increased life expectancy: As people live longer, the population ages.
• Implications
  • Labor markets: The supply of labor could change as the population ages.
  • Social protection: The demand for social services, for example, in housing, transport, and care, could rise.
  • Family structures: Family structures and intergenerational bonds could change.
  • Health care: Health care demand could rise.

Ageing Population Trends: The number of individuals aged 60 years and older is expected to more than double from 10 crore (100 million) in 2011 to 23 crore (230 million) by 2036, with their share of the total population rising from 8.4% to 14.9%. 

Social Problems

• Industrialization, urbanization, and globalization have caused rapid change.
• Traditional values and institutions are weakening.
• Retirement is causing disillusionment.
• Elderly are feeling powerless, lonely, and isolated.

Economic Problems

• Children are dependent for basic needs.
• Out-of-pocket expenses on treatment are increasing.
• Negative impacts of migration from rural areas.
• Housing facilities are not adequate.
• Economic dependency upon families and old-age pensions.

Health Problems

• Blindness, locomotors disabilities and deafness,
• Mental morbidity due to senility and neurosis, and
• Lack of institutional care for old people in villages.
• Depressive illness occurs in 30% to 50% of elderly with a predominance among women including widows, especially.
• Depression is strongly correlated with poverty, poor health, and loneliness.

Social Assistance Scheme of India

• It is a non-contributory pension programme for the older persons, as well as to the widows and disabled.
• It is managed by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Problems with the Scheme

• Exclusion of “Below Poverty Line” (BPL) families
  • It only targets such families, thereby causing exclusion errors.
• Elaborate Formalities
  • Targeting is an elaborate formality, especially in the case of elderly persons whose incomes are meager or education is very little.
• Lopsided Contribution
  • The central contribution to old-age pensions under NSAP has remained static at Rs. 200 per month since 2006.
  • Most States have added more coverage and quantum of social-security pensions through their own resources and schemes more than the minimum under NSAP.

Other Programs

• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
  • A Pension Scheme for senior citizens aged 60 years and above.
• Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP)
  • The policy to uplift the quality of life of elderly.
• Rashtriya Vayoshree Yojana
  • Central sector scheme fully funded from the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund.
• SAMPANN Project
  • A seamless online pension processing and payment system for the pensioners of the Department of Telecommunications.
• SACRED Portal for Elderly
  • For citizens above 60 years, to register, find jobs and work opportunities.
• Elder Line
  • Toll-Free Number for Elderly: Information, guidance, emotional support, and immediate assistance in case of abuse.
• SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine) Initiative
  • A single access point for elderly care products and services via credible start-ups.