'India ageing gradually; every 5th person to be 60+ by 2050'

By 2050 every 5th Indian will be in 60s as against every 12th at present. It means India will transform gradually from young to a 'greying' country.

New Delhi: By 2050 every 5th Indian will be in 60s as against every 12th at present. It means India will transform gradually from young to a 'greying' country.

Flagging the demographic transition, a PFRDA-CRISIL report on Monday said it is important that the development of the under-penetrated pension market in India be initiated now, when the situation is ripe.

"Demographically, India will transition slowly from a young to a greying country, where persons above the age of 60 would increase from 8.9 per cent of the population now to 19.4 per cent by 2050," said PFRDA Chairman Hemant G Contractor in the report, 'Financial security for India's elderly - The imperatives'.

As per the report, the population of people above 80 is likely to increase from 0.9 per cent to 2.8 per cent by 2050.

"Continuously declining inter-generational support within families makes it imperative to have a well-developed, self- sustaining pension system in the country," the report said.

Almost 90 per cent of the population was below the age of 60 years and the working age population proportion stood at 44 per cent in 2015.

Contractor said the promotion and development of a pension system is also vital to the growth of the Indian economy as it serves the twin objectives of providing income security to a vast multitude of the ageing population, and garnering long-term funds for critical, growth-driving sectors of the economy as also the capital market.

"A developed pension sector not only reduces the fiscal burden on the exchequer, it also has a stabilising effect on the economy by promoting long-term savings combined with long-term investments," he said.

According to him, the pursuit of affordable, adequate, efficient and sustainable pension system will involve a great deal of inter-ministerial, inter-state, inter-regional and inter-institutional decisions and co-ordination.
 

With PTI Inputs

 

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