Insights from the first elderly panel survey conducted by the Government of Tamil Nadu: successes, challenges & outcomes

The demographic shift towards an increasingly older population has made aging an important policy concern in Tamil Nadu. It is estimated that those aged 65 and older will make up 22% of the population by 2051, far greater than the projected national average of 12% . Tamil Nadu finds itself at the forefront of a demographic transition, presenting the government with a new set of challenges to work with.

The Department of Economics and Statistics (DES) is creating a panel data set of elderly people. The study aims to collect high-quality data across a wide range of outcomes, including physical health, mental health, financial situation, and well-being. The data will help the Government of Tamil Nadu understand the needs and challenges faced by a growing elderly population and use that understanding to set priorities and design policies to improve the health and well-being of elderly people.

In this session, DES will highlight insights from conducting this panel survey since 2018, particularly the successes, challenges and outcomes of implementing it.