An ageing India, counted but not fully understood
Recent data indicates that India's population is aging, though the rate of change varies significantly between states like Kerala and Bihar. The author argues that current data collection methods are insufficient for understanding the specific health and care needs of the elderly population.
Why it matters
Effective policy planning for an aging society requires granular data that current national surveys fail to provide.
India is ageing , and the most recent official figures show how quickly this is happening. The National Family Health Survey - 6 factsheets, released in August 2026, indicate that the proportion of Indians aged 60 years or older has reached 12.9%, up from 11.8% in NFHS-5, some four years earlier. This represents a small national increase, and while significant, is not the most interesting aspect of what the data reveal.
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