British media: India faces the challenge of 'getting ol

On March 1st, The Economist published an article titled "The Worries of India's Aging Population". In 1950, the life expectancy of Indians at birth was only 41.2 years, which was 5 years lower than the global average life expectancy at that time. But by 2023, this number will increase to 72 years, only one year lower than the global average life expectancy. The improvement of public health has brought enormous development opportunities to India, with nearly half of the country's population of over 1.4 billion being under the age of 29. This large and constantly growing workforce has driven economic growth and created the so-called 'demographic dividend'. At the same time, India is also facing new challenges: for the first time in history, a large and continuously growing elderly population has emerged. At present, there are about 150 million people aged 60 and above in India, and it is expected that by 2050, the proportion of this age group's population will double to 350 million, exceeding the total population of the United States today. The healthcare system is under immense pressure

If India enters an aging society before achieving prosperity, not only will its "dream of a developed country" be shattered, but it may also put the retired population in a difficult situation. Currently, India's total fertility rate has fallen below 2.0. One elderly person corresponds to 9.8 working age youth. It is expected that by 2050, this proportion will decrease by half and drop to 1.9 by the end of this century, which is about equivalent to Japan's current situation. With the decrease in the working age population and insufficient personal savings, some elderly people in India are living a lonely and financially constrained retirement life. India's public services, especially the healthcare system, may also face enormous pressure. In addition, with increasing personal income and national pension expenditures, the younger generation will have to consume cautiously and "delay consumption".

Older women in India may face greater living difficulties. In some parts of India, widows are believed to lead a life of poverty and are excluded from social activities. In theory, if a partner passes away, the property should be left to the wife and children, but many wives do not receive their share. Most Indian women have not had much formal employment experience, making them particularly vulnerable economically.

Government policies cannot be discussed on paper

Faced with the rapid growth of the elderly population, the Indian government has introduced multiple policies, but some social groups have expressed that many of these policies are just theoretical and have not been truly implemented. Although the government provides pensions for elderly people below the poverty line, some people believe that this funding is far from enough to enable them to live independently. In addition, the tedious process of applying for a pension is even more frustrating. Applicants must submit relevant certificates every year to prove that they are still alive, and many elderly people simply cannot cope with such complex procedures. Last year, the Indian government announced the provision of free universal health insurance for elderly people aged 70 and above. Although this measure is worth celebrating, it is only a relatively basic guarantee plan and does not include outpatient nursing and other projects. India also has private health insurance for the elderly, but the premiums are high, there are many restrictions, and the coverage is limited.

The changes in social structure have also exacerbated this problem. The previously prevalent multi generational family model is disappearing, and young people are moving to cities for better job opportunities, leaving their parents to live in their hometowns. However, the concept of nursing homes has not yet been fully popularized in Indian society, and many elderly people have to face problems such as loneliness in life.

Day care institutions help improve lives

Whether in India or other countries, solving this problem requires more economic development, more formal employment, and delayed retirement. But in the short term, more creative ideas can also be tried. A unique elderly care model has been formed in a village in central India, and its own "elderly day care center" has been established.

The population of this village is only 1136, of which 154 are elderly people. Except for Sundays, the elderly women in the village gather at the temple by the river every afternoon to sing, practice yoga, and spend a lot of time chatting, which allows retired women to regain their social life. The daycare center will have people regularly monitor blood pressure and blood sugar levels to help them detect health problems as early as possible.

India has made significant achievements in improving life expectancy, and now the challenge for the country is how to make people live more dignified and happy in the "extended years".