The United Nations Population Fund predicts that by 2050, India's elderly population will more than double and exceed the number of children in the country. The United Nations Population Fund said in a report last week that the number of people aged 60 and above in India will increase from 149 million in 2022 to 347 million in 2050.
The study also shows that by 2046, the number of elderly people in India will exceed the number of children aged 0 to 14 years, while the number of people aged 15 to 59 years will decline.
India is now the most populous country in the world and currently has the largest youth population, with 65% of Indians under the age of 35.
However, UNFPA projections show that while India's total population will grow by 18% from 2022 to 2050, its elderly population will grow by 134%, and the number of people aged 80 and above will grow by 279%.
"By 2050, one in every five people in India will be an elderly person," the agency said.
India is not the only country facing an aging population. According to the United Nations Population Fund, the global population aged 60 and over is expected to double to 2.1 billion by 2050.
"All regions of the world will see an increase in the number and proportion of older people," the report states. The report emphasizes that the increase in the elderly population will be slightly higher in less developed regions.