Question

In South Asia, the country with the largest percentage of aged population is
1. Bhutan
2. India
3. Nepal
4. Sri Lanka

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Sri Lanka

The correct answer is Sri Lanka.

• Demographic Dimensions of Ageing in Sri Lanka:-
  • In 2012 there were 2,524,570 people (12.4%) living above the age of 60 years.
  • Population aging in Sri Lanka is accelerating at a faster rate than other South Asian countries and has been increasing rapidly since the 1980s.
  • Between 1981 and 2012, the proportion of the population aged 60 years and above, has increased from 6.6% to 12.4%.
  • The median age of the Sri Lankan population has also increased from 21.4 years to 31.0 years for the 1981-2012 periods, which is much higher than other countries in the South Asian region.
  • Rapid demographic transition with a marked decline in death rates and birth rates, increases in life expectancy are leading to important changes in age-sex structure.

• The life expectancy at birth for male and female has reported as 72 and 79 years respectively and female often live six years longer than male counterparts in 2012.
• The aging is observed in most ethnic groups except in the Sri Lanka Moor population.
• The lowest proportion of the aged population was observed in Sri Lanka Moor (7.8%) while all others have experienced a proportion of older persons, 11% or more from their respective total populations.
• Feminization of Ageing Women comprises the majority of both the total and older population and the older population.
• There were 289,000 older women than men in 2012 which marks the feminization of aging in Sri Lanka.
• In 2012, females accounted for about 56% of the total aged population in Sri Lanka but for the oldest-old group (80 or over), this proportion was 61%.
• There were 94 males for every 100 females for the total population.