Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) on 11 August. The Index has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) and it sheds light on an issue often not mentioned-problems faced by the elderly.

The report identifies the regional patterns of ageing across the Indian states and assesses the overall ageing situation in India. The report presents a deeper insight into how well India is doing to support the well-being of its ageing population. 

The Index framework includes four pillars: financial well-being, social well-being, health system and income security, and eight sub-pillars: economic empowerment, educational attainment and employment, social status, physical security, basic health, psychological wellbeing, social security and enabling environment. 

The Health System pillar observes the highest national average, 66.97 at an all-India level, followed by 62.34 in Social Well-being. Financial Well-being observes a score of 44.7, which is lowered by the low performance of 21 States across the Education Attainment & Employment pillar, which showcases scope for improvement

“Without a proper diagnostic tool to understand the implications of its ageing population, planning for the elderly can become a challenge for policymakers. The Quality of Life for Elderly Index has been released to broaden the way we understand the needs and the opportunities of the elderly population in India", said IFC chairman Dr Amit Kapoor.

The index highlights that the best way to improve the lives of the current and future generations of older people is by investing in health, education and employment for young people today.