Kerala has highest share of elderly in population, Bihar lowest

 What is the News?

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation(MOSPI) has released a report titled “Elderly in India 2021”.The report is based on the findings of the Technical Group on Population Projections for India and States for 2011-2036.

Key Findings of the Elderly in India 2021 Report:

 Growth of Elderly Population:

• The general population has grown by 12.4% during 2011-2021 in comparison to around 18% in the earlier decade.
• On the other hand, the elderly population has grown by 36% in each of the last two decades (2001-2011 and 2011-2021).
• A high growth rate in the elderly population compared to the general population was also observed earlier in the two decades between 1961 and 1981.
• Reasons: The growth in the elderly population has been attributed to the longevity of life achieved because of economic well-being, better healthcare and medical facilities and reduction in fertility rates.

State Wise Elderly Population:

• As per 2021 data, Kerala has the maximum proportion (16.5%) of elderly people in its population.
• It was followed by Tamil Nadu (13.6%), Himachal Pradesh (13.1%), Punjab (12.6%) and Andhra Pradesh (12.4%).
• The proportion of the Elderly Population is the least in Bihar (7.7%) followed by Uttar Pradesh (8.1%) and Assam (8.2%).

 Future Projections:

• The projections for 2031 show that Kerala will have the maximum proportion (20.9%) of elderly people in its population.
• It will be followed by Tamil Nadu (18.2%), Himachal Pradesh (17.1%), Andhra Pradesh (16.4%) and Punjab (16.2%), according to the report.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio:

• The old-age dependency ratio provides a clearer picture of the number of persons aged 60-plus per 100 persons in the age group of 15-59 years.
• According to the report, an increasing trend has been observed in the old-age dependency ratio. It has risen from 10.9% in 1961 to 14.2% in 2011 and is further projected to increase to 15.7% and 20.1% in 2021 and 2031 respectively.
• The projected dependency ratio for females and males is 14.8% and 16.7% respectively in 2021.