The study reports that Kerala is one of the fastest growing communities in the world. The report was prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness as recommended by the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. According to the report, Kerala lags behind in the standard of living of those over 60 years of age.
Kerala ranks seventh in the state in terms of living standards for the elderly out of 10 states where people above 60 years are below 50 lakhs. In the first place are Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Rajasthan and Maharashtra are among the states with more than 50 lakh senior citizens. According to the 2011 Census, 12.5% of the population of Kerala is aged. By 2036, Kerala will have the highest proportion of people over 60 years of age.
The states of Tamil Nadu and Bengal are also rapidly aging. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are relatively young. Low fertility rates increase the proportion of older people in South India. Although the health system in the state is strong, a large proportion of the elderly are suffering from diseases like diabetes and cancer, the report said.
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