India's Ageing Crisis: Uneven Pacing

As of August 2026, India's elderly population has reached 12.9%, a notable increase from previous years. However, this national figure masks significant regional disparities in ageing.

States such as Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu exhibit advanced ageing, with over 16% of their populations aged 60 and above. In contrast, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh show much slower ageing trends. Ladakh has also experienced a rapid increase in its elderly demographic.

This uneven ageing necessitates tailored policy approaches, as older states face rising demands for chronic disease care and geriatric services. Younger states must prepare proactively to avoid reactive responses to demographic shifts.

A significant challenge is the lack of detailed data on older adults' health. Surveys often group them with younger adults or exclude them entirely, making it difficult to track conditions like hypertension or nutritional status accurately.

Existing surveys like the NFHS-6 are valuable for broad health trends but do not adequately capture the specific needs of the elderly. The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) offers deeper insights but its data is outdated, with the first wave collected between 2017 and 2018.

To effectively support the growing elderly population, particularly with initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY extended to those aged 70 and over, current and granular data is crucial. This includes understanding chronic disease prevalence, functional health, and out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure across different states.

Recommendations include updating LASI data regularly, reporting NFHS numbers by age for conditions like hypertension and blood sugar, and improving the linkage between the two major surveys. This will enable better policy formulation and resource allocation to meet the diverse needs of India's ageing population.