An Ageing India: Counting to Understanding Elderly Needs

Why in News?

NFHS-6 (2026) shows India’s elderly population has risen to 12.9%, highlighting the need for better age-specific health and care data to address the challenges of an ageing population.

What is the current status of India’s Ageing Transition?

• India is undergoing a demographic transition with a steadily increasing elderly population.
• Spatial unevenness of Ageing –
  • Kerala: 20.7% elderly
  • Goa: 17.2%
  • Himachal Pradesh: 16.4%
  • Tamil Nadu: 16.3%
• In contrast, States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh remain relatively young.
• Ladakh witnessed a sharp increase in its elderly share, from 8.9% to 14.6% in four years.
• Implication – India requires State-specific and region-specific ageing policies, rather than a uniform national approach.

What are the Key Data Gaps?

• Lack of elderly-specific health data – NFHS-6 records hypertension and high blood sugar for adults aged 15+.
  • It makes difficult to identify the specific disease burden among senior citizens.
• Nutrition remains poorly measured – NFHS does not adequately measure BMI and nutritional status of older adults.
  • Elderly have increased vulnerability to malnutrition and functional decline.
• Limited information on healthcare expenditure – Health insurance and financing indicators are largely available at the household level.
  • It provides limited information about the actual financial burden faced by elderly individuals.
• Elderly not adequately interviewed – NFHS interviews women up to 49 and men up to 54 years.
• Gaps in holistic data – Older people are largely represented through household information and selected biomedical measurements, leaving gaps regarding:
  • Healthcare-seeking behaviour
  • Treatment adherence
  • Lifestyle factors
  • Employment
  • Functional ability
  • Social support

Why Does Better Data Matter?

• Effective implementation of AB-PMJAY – The extension of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to all citizens aged 70+ increases the need for reliable information about:
  • Chronic disease prevalence
  • Healthcare utilisation
  • Out-of-pocket expenditure
  • Long-term care requirements
• Ageing increases demand for - Geriatric services, chronic disease management, Long-term and home-based care, Rehabilitation, Palliative care.
• States ageing faster need healthcare infrastructure and elderly-care services earlier and at greater scale than relatively younger States.

What are the measures taken by government to address elderly needs?

• National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) – Provides monthly financial aid and old-age pensions to individuals from lower-income, marginalized backgrounds.
  • Eg. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.
• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Expansion – Extends free health insurance coverage up to rs.5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 and above.
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) – Distributes free assisted-living devices (such as wheelchairs, walkers,) to elderly individuals facing age-related physical limitations.
• SAGE Initiative – Encourages innovative startups to design customized products, services, and living solutions suited for the elderly.

What could be done?

• Strengthen existing surveys – Instead of creating another large survey, improve and update NFHS and LASI.
• Generate age-disaggregated data – Report health indicators separately for 60+, 70+, 80+ and other relevant age groups.
• Regularly update LASI – More frequent waves would provide policymakers with current evidence on India's rapidly changing age structure.
• Integrate datasets – NFHS and LASI should be designed to enable comparability and complementary analysis.
• Focus on functional health – Data collection should include disability, mobility, activities of daily living and dependency levels, not merely disease prevalence.
• Strengthen State-level planning – Ageing indicators should guide State-specific healthcare infrastructure, insurance and long-term care policies.

What lies ahead?

• India's ageing challenge is not merely about how many elderly people there are, but about how they live, what diseases they face, what care they require.
• Strengthening existing data systems through regular surveys can enable India to shift from a reactive approach to evidence-based elderly healthcare planning.

Reference

The Hindu| An Ageing India: Counting to Understanding Elderly Needs