Time to reap silver dividend

COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA, Japan & South Korea are looking at a fertility rate lower than the replacement rate.

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COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA, Japan & South Korea are looking at a fertility rate lower than the replacement rate. "If population growth rate declines or becomes stagnant, the onus is on the productivity rate to make up for that slack in the growth momentum," said Ravi Srivastava, director at the Centre for Employment Studies, the Institute of Human Development. Muttreja speaks about the financial burden this will create for the elderly population. A larger aged population will need more geriatric services, financial protection, and social inclusion, she said. Without this, the burden of care will fall largely on women in households, deepening gender inequality. Gupta said that for a long time, the ageing population has been largely ignored, mainly because they formed a small minority. "As their numbers rise, they will become a significant vote bank, making it harder for political parties to overlook their needs