The Ageing Phenomenon
Ageing in any population is a global phenomenon. Each country in the world is experiencing growth in both the size and the proportion of older persons in the population. According to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) of the United Nations, there were 703 million persons aged 65 years or over in the global population in 2019. This number is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050. Globally, the share of the population aged 65 years or over increased from 6 per cent in 1990 to 9 per cent in 2019. That proportion is projected to rise further to 16 per cent in 2050, when it is expected that one in six people worldwide will be aged 65 years or over.
Globally, the number of persons aged 80 years or older nearly tripled between 1990 and 2019, growing from 54 million to 143 million; it is projected to triple again between 2019 and 2050 to reach 426 million. At the global level, life expectancy at birth has reached 72.3 years, with women on average living five years longer than men — 74.7 years and 69.9 years, respectively.
Worldwide, a person who reaches age 65 years in 2015-2020 can expect to live, on average, an additional 17 years. By 2045-2050, that figure is expected to increase to 19 years. Although the survival of men is expected to improve, it is likely that women will continue to outlive men on average.
"Ageing in India is exponentially increasing due to the impressive gains that its society has made in terms of increased life expectancy."
As a result of the gender gap in longevity, older women currently outnumber older men across any age range — in particular, for those aged 80 years or older. Globally, there were 81 men for every 100 women aged 65 years or older in 2019, yet only 63 men for every 100 women aged 80 years or older. With the sex difference in longevity expected to narrow in future years, in 2050 it is projected that there will be 85 men per 100 women aged 65 years or over, and 71 men per 100 women at ages 80 and above. Ageing in India is exponentially increasing due to the impressive gains that its society has made in terms of increased life expectancy. With the rise in elderly population, the demand for holistic care tends to grow. By 2025, the geriatric population is expected to be 840 million in the developing countries. It is projected that the proportion of Indians aged 60 and older will rise from 7.5% in 2010 to 11.1% in 2025. In 2010, India had more than 91.6 million elderly and the number of elderly in India is projected to reach 158.7 million in 2025.