INDIA: Delhi Has Over 830,000 Aged Over 60

NEW DELHI (Agencies), February 16, 2007: Results of an official survey released Thursday show that nearly 5.5 percent of Delhi's population - 830,000 people - are above the age of 60. The report, 'Morbidity, Healthcare and condition of Aged persons in Delhi', prepared by Government of Delhi's Directorate of Economics and Statistics revealed that around 24,935 people were living alone. "Out of 830,000 aged persons about 3 percent were living alone, 14.45 percent (102,000) with spouse only, 52 percent (431,000) with spouse and children, 27.6 percent (229,000) were living without spouse but with children and 2.87 percent (23,850) with other relations," said A. K. Walia, Delhi Finance and Planning Minister, while releasing the report. The sex ratio among the aged people is 874 female per 1,000 male. The dependency ratio in the urban area of Delhi is 8.1 as compared to 9.4 at the national level. However, in the rural area of Delhi old age dependency is 13.4 as compared to 11.1 at the national level. The average number of aged people per household in Delhi is 0.3. The survey reveals that about 40 percent of the married sons are residing separately in the same building where their aged parents are residing alone or with spouse. However, 29 percent sons or daughters were living separately while another 29 percent children of the aged people here were living outside Delhi. Out of the 830,000 aged people, about 55 percent (454,000) are fully dependent on others for economic support, 8 percent were partially dependent and 37 percent (308,000) were not economically dependent on others. Out of the total aged persons, 1.96 percent (16,229) were confined to bed and 3.29 percent (27,330) were confined to home. Walia said the survey also reveals that about 92 percent of the total boys and 90 percent of the total girls in the age group of 0-4 years were given immunisation. The percentage of total children immunised was 91 percent.