70% of elderly remain financially dependent, many work beyond retirement: Report

Currently, India is home to more than 150 million elderly citizens—greater than the populations of Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdon, says a report by management consulting firm Primus Partners.

According to the report, 70 per cent of India’s elderly remain financially dependent, and many are working beyond retirement.

The report titled ‘Empty Courtyards, Fading Voices: Elderly Lives Amid Migration’ sheds light on the growing crisis of loneliness, neglect, and mental health distress among India’s elderly, a silent fallout of rapid urbanisation and migration.

It points out that fractured families and mass migration are leaving older parents and grandparents isolated in "ageing villages," struggling in “greying cities,” or uprooted into unfamiliar environments.

India currently spends around $7 billion annually on elderly care, with the bulk directed towards healthcare. To meet the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) benchmark of 1.5 per cent of GDP, this investment would need to increase $60 billion a year to build a comprehensive ecosystem that goes beyond healthcare to include social security, community support, and digital enablement for the country’s rapidly ageing population.

According to the report, 70 per cent of India’s elderly remain financially dependent, many working beyond retirement. Depression and cognitive decline are significantly higher among those with migrant children. Continuity of care is often disrupted, with missed medications, delayed treatments, and incomplete recoveries. Fragmented urban communities heighten risks of neglect, abuse, and despair.

Recommendations

The report recommends a few interventions to address the crisis, including:

• Community care circles and senior citizen clubs
• Corporate-supported day-care centres and adoption of public parks
• Digital inclusion programmes to bridge generational divides
• One-stop geriatric support hubs in migration hotspots
• Mapping of 'elder migration clusters' for targeted policy interventions.

The report calls on policymakers to look beyond pension and healthcare, and focus on designing neighbourhoods and communities where older citizens can remain visible, engaged, and supported. It also emphasises the need for partnerships between governments, corporate firms, and civil society to address the challenges of the elderdy and offer support to them.

Nilaya Varma, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Primus Partners, said, “Migration is reshaping ageing in India in ways traditional systems were never designed to handle. The report is a humanitarian call for urgent action—millions of elderly Indians are slipping into invisible loneliness.”

Vivek Tandon, Vice President – Health Practice, Primus Partners, said, "This is not just a social issue, but a public health emergency. Scaleable community-based care and accessible mental health services are essential to ensure seniors live not only longer, but better.”