An Age for Worrying About Age

We haven't yet reaped the benefits of our demographic dividend, which will start declining from 2040. With the population ageing faster, we are descending unprepared into a crisis

- SANTOSH MEHROTRA

Most global reports on demographic patterns often glaze over issues that are of significance to large countries like India. For its flagship annual report of 2025, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted a survey along with YouGov of more than 14,000 men and women across 14 countries that, together, are home to more than 37 percent of the world's population. The aim was to learn about the fertility aspirations and achievements of individuals, and to understand the challenges they have experienced, if any, and the way forward. India was one of the countries studied.

Let me begin with what I believe to be India's most important demographic concerns today, which are mostly not highlighted in the UNFPA report. First, a couple of years ago, India became the world's most populous country, from being the second most populous since 1947. India's population at independence was 350 million, against China's 550 million in 1951. China's leaders invested heavily in women's education and the health of its population in the first three decades after 1949. They reaped the benefits when their country became the world's second-largest economy and a veritable superpower.

Had India's policymakers understood the importance of education and health (including nutrition) for its population, especially in the Hindi belt, our population would not be expected to peak in 2065 at over 1.65 billion. It will continue exacerbating the vicious cycle of population growth, environmental degradation and poverty unless policy corrections occur faster.