Social Security Schemes for the Elderly in India

The United Nations’ Population Division (2019) projects global life expectancy to reach 74.5 years for males and 79.1 years for females by 2050. With approximately 1.40 billion inhabitants in 2021, India is projected to become the world's most populous country in 2023, surpassing China. In the 2011 census, the elderly population, aged 60 years and above, totalling to 103 million in number, accounted for 8.6 per cent of India's population. The share of the elderly population is projected to further rise to 19.5 per cent (around 319 million) by 2050 (Registrar General of India [RGI], 2011).