A majority of India’s elderly are women now. The Registrar General of India’s (RGI) latest data from the Sample Registration System (SRS), 2010, has confirmed feminization of India’s elderly. The data sent to the Union health ministry on Saturday shows that the percentage of women in the age group of 60 years and above is higher in 17 out of the 20 large states. It is as high as nearly 12.6% in Kerala, 10% in Maharashtra and 10.3% in HP and Tamil Nadu.

Only three states—Assam, Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir—have more elderly men than women. The difference between the percentage of elderly women against 60+ men is most acute in states like Andhra Pradesh (8.4 women against 7.1 men), Chhattisgarh (7.1 against 5.9), Gujarat (8.3 against 6.8), Haryana (6.9 against 5.3), Maharashtra (9.7 against 8.7), Punjab (9.4 against 8.4) and Rajasthan (7.4 against 6.2). The Union health ministry expects 51% of the elderly population will be women by 2016.

Overall, nearly 7.5% of India’s population is aged 60 years and above. In rural India, 7.5% of the population is above 60, and the corresponding figure is 7% urban areas.

Kerala (11.8), Himachal Pradesh (10.1%) and Tamil Nadu (10%) have the highest percentage of elderly in the country, followed by Maharashtra (9.2), Punjab (8.9) and Odisha (8.7). Jharkhand (5.7), Assam (5.5) and Delhi (5.7) record the lowest percentage of geriatrics.

The SRS report says, “On account of better education, health facilities and increase in life expectancy, the percentage of elderly population (60+) has gone up from 6% to 7%.” A recent Planning Commission report had said one in every four among India’s elderly population are depressed, one in three suffer from arthritis, while one in five cannot hear.

While one in three suffer from hypertension in rural India and one in two in urban areas, almost half have poor vision. Around one in 10 experience a fall that results in fracture, while two in five are anemic. One in 10 in rural India and two in five in urban suffer from diabetes, and about 31% suffer from bowel disorders.

Overall 7.5% of India’s population are aged 60+; majority are women 51% of elderly population will be women by 2016 India to soon become home to the 2nd largest number of elderly people in the world. 80% of them are in rural areas 30% of the elderly are below poverty line Percentage of women in the age group 60 yrs & above is higher in 17 of 20 large states. Only 3 states, Assam, Bihar & Jammu & Kashmir, have more elderly men than women India to soon have 2nd largest elderly population New Delhi: The Registrar General of India’s (RGI) latest data from the Sample Registration System (SRS), 2010, has confirmed that a majority of India’s elderly are women now.

“The elderly population will increase to 12% of the total population by 2025, 10% of which would be bedridden, requiring utmost care. India will soon become home to the secondlargest number of older people in the world. The challenges are unique with this population. A majority (80%) of them is in the rural areas thus making service delivery a challenge, feminization of the elderly population and 30% of the elderly are below poverty line,” said an internal ministry note.

According tothe2006 WorldPopulation Prospects, the number of Indians aged above 80 will increase more than six times from existing 78 lakhto about5.14croreby 2059.At present, 20% of this category in India suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The 65+ population in the country is likely to quadruple from 6.4crorein 2005to23.9 crore, andthe 60+ to go up from from 8.4 crore to 33.5 crore in the next 43 years.

UN estimates say the global population of 60 years and older will more than double—from 542 million in 1995 to about 1.2 billion in 2025.

The ministry’s revised National Programme for the Healthcare of the Elderly (NPHCE) expects to have20institutionswithcapacity to produce 40 post-graduates in MD in geriatric medicine per year, additional 6,400 beds in district hospitals and1,000bedsin medicalcolleges for the elderly by 2017. It also envisages setting up geriatric clinics in OPD and physiotherapy units in 640 district hospitals and more than 2,000 geriatric clinics in community and primary health centres.