India, as a country, is ageing faster than what’s generally thought

It’s the country of colours, creativity and culture. It’s also a young country, according to stats, number crunchers and social commentators and critics. It’s amongst the fastest growing economies of the world, even as the farmers- responsible for churning much of the agricultural produce toward the economy- are often committing suicide. Yet, there’s a problem India has that most aren’t bothered to read.

India is an ageing country. Even as this point in time, at least more than 55 per cent of the country has a population that’s 29 and below, that may not always be the case in the near future.

In case, you are wondering just what is going on- here’s a tiny clue. India has an ageing issue that either few are aware of or a very tiny lot understands in the entirety.

Here’s the main case in point. Estimates point to a rather disturbing realisation that descends almost immediately when you understand and delve into India’s future population and age projection.

So what are we waiting for, let’s hit the bar hard? By 2050, it is believed, the number of people in India above the age of 60 will rise to somewhere around 340 million. That’s not a lame number. That’s a serious statistic. That tells you more than a thing or two about a country that’s often painted rather richly, luxuriously in terms of its youth make-up.

Isn’t it? What are your thoughts? Some estimates from the revered HelpAge India peg the number at a rather serious 324 million-340 million.

While it’s perfunctory and needless to add that India’s aged population alone is somewhere 300 times more than the population of an Israel or 250 times than that of Finland, there’s something else that one really needs to consider.

During 2000-2050, the overall population of India is expected to grow by a whopping 50 % (per cent).