Deprivation and vulnerability among elderly in India

Abstract

Changing age structure is one of structural change that witnessed in the last century. Population ageing is one of its consequences, which emerges as a global phenomenon in the present day. It is generally expressed as older individuals forming large share of the total population. This process is considered to be an end product of demographic transition or demographic achievements with a decline in both birth and mortality rates and consequent increase in the life expectancy at birth and older ages. The Indian aged population is currently the second largest in the world to that of china with 100 million of the aged. The absolute number of the over 60 population in India will increase from 77 million in 2001 to 137 million by 2021 “Population Ageing is profound, having major consequences and implications for all facets of human life. In the economic area, population ageing will have an impact on economic growth, savings, investment and consumption, labor markets, pensions, taxation and inter generational transfers. In the social sphere, population ageing affects health and healthcare, family composition and living arrangements, housing and migration. In this paper we try to document different aspects of human deprivation in the old age other than the measurement of income poverty. We mainly take up on aspects of economic, health and social aspects of deprivation and how it vary across space(sector and state) and gender and try to map how much it vary in relative terms. It further looks up on correlates and determines of old age deprivation in India.