Demographics Of Aging In India: An Abstract

The continuing population growth in India during the past 50 years has been accompanied by a marked increase in the number of the aged (persons aged 60 and above). According to the decennial censuses, the number of aged has increased from about 19.8 million in 1951 and to 56.7 million in 1991 or by 189 percent over the 40 year period. Their share in the total population has increased from 5.5 to 6.8 percent, or by 24 percent. If the proportion of the aged had not risen, the number of the aged would have grown to 46.5 million or 137 percent. In effect, nearly 72 percent of the increase in the number of the aged has to be attributed to population growth, whereas the balance 28 percent has been due to the ageing of the population.