Trends in global ageing and urbanisation indicate that by 2025, 70% of the global population aged over 60 will be living in developing countries and of these, the majority will live in Asia (WHO 1998); that by 2030, 61% of the global population will be urban and that 80% of these will live in developing countries. Developing countries face an unprecedented pace and scale of ageing in contexts where poverty levels are high, the capacity to save for old age is limited and the coverage and scale of non-contributory pensions are, at best, low.
India has the highest global concentration of old age poverty. Nearly 71 million Indians were over 60 in 2001 (198 million in 2030), the coverage and size of pensions is miniscule, 60% of older people's access to subsistence is fragile, 30% live below the poverty line and the problems of old age are particularly acute for women due to a lifetime of discrimination.
The Centre along with the University of London is involved in a collaborative study on the impact of globalisation on the elderly poor in the slums of Chennai. Different aspects of the study are shared here.
Policy/Practice/Project Impact Statement for Ageing, Poverty and Neoliberalism in Urban South India. Download.
New Dynamics of Ageing Programme. A research project report. Download.