With the fertility rate steadily declining and falling below the replacement level, India is going to face a serious demographic challenge. It is assumed that in the next three decades, India will turn into an ageing society. According to latest research study published in the medical journal Lancet, India’s total fertility rate (TFR) will fall to 1.29 in 2050, far below the replacement level of 2. One in five persons in India will be above the age of 60 in 2050. This indicates a major demographic shift which will have serious implication on the country’s health and gender policies.
The UN Population Fund’s (UNPF) India Ageing Report projected last year that the number of elderly will more than double from 149 million in 2022 to 347 million by mid-century. With a lower number of births, the youth population will keep shrinking. As the size of the youth population falls, the number of older adults will surpass the young, posing a challenge to the policymakers.
The combination of declining fertility rates and longer life expectancies presents a complex situation, necessitating provisions for social security and healthcare for the increasing elderly population. India needs to make investments to provide the growing number of older adults with improved access to healthcare, income security and social safety.