According to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, a senior citizenmeans any person being a citizen of India, who has attained the age of sixty years or above.
A demographically young country like India is ageing gradually. By 2050, 1 out of every 5 people in India will be over 60.
Out of the World’s Elderly Population, 1/8th lives in India.
The percentage of the senior citizens in India’s population has been growing at an increasing rate in recent years and the trend is likely to continue, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
According to the State of World Population 2019 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), India’s elderly population expected to triple from 104 million in 2011 to 300 million by 2050, accounting for 18% of the total population.
Economic Survey 2018-19 points out that India may face an increasingly ageing population just like developed nations like Germany and France.
States like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Maharashtra are already witnessing an ageing phenomenon.
As India’s economy has progressed, people have better access to healthcare, information and awareness around fertility. Thus, the country has witnessed a sharp decline in the total fertility rate (TFR) since the mid-1980s.
