Tamil Nadu’s population is ageing fast, says health minister Arunraj on World Population Day

Chennai: Nearly 16 in every 100 people in Tamil Nadu are now above 60 years of age, and the proportion is expected to rise to one in five over the next decade, said health minister K G Arunraj on Saturday.At World Population Day events, Arunraj said the state would focus on improving health and quality of life rather than treating population growth as a burden. “Population is no longer looked upon as a burden. People are considered resources,” he said. Tamil Nadu’s population, estimated at 7.2 crore in 2011, is projected to reach 7.7 crore this year, and 7.8 crore by 2036. But the growth will slow as the birth rate falls and people live longer.The state’s total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — has dropped from around 3.9 in 1971 to 1.3 now. “The population’s replacement-level over time without migration is 2.1. Tamil Nadu reached that level in 1990s,” said Arunraj, adding, “Fewer babies are now born in the state — something we see in most developed countries.”Projections show that people aged 0 to 14 who account for 18.3% of the population in 2026, down from 23.6% in 2011, will be 15.6% by 2036.

The population of those between 15 and 59 years, is projected to fall from 65.8 % in 2011 to 63.6 % in 2036. At the same time, the share of people aged more than 60 is expected to almost double, from 10.6% in 2011 to 20.8% in 2036. The median age is projected to rise from 29.95 in 2011 to 36.35 in 2026, and 40.54 by 2036.Data shows women to live longer — life expectancy in Tamil Nadu is 71.7 years for men and 75.8 years for women. Therefore, sex ratio — the number of women for every 1,000 men — is projected to improve from 996 in 2011 to 1,015 by 2036.

Population density is expected to rise from 555 people per sqkm in 2011 to 596 in 2026, and 600 in 2036.Arunraj said while some states, including Andhra Pradesh, were considering incentives for families having a third or fourth child to address concerns about ageing populations, Tamil Nadu would instead concentrate on lowering infant and maternal deaths and strengthening healthcare. Tamil Nadu’s infant mortality rate is 11, while maternal mortality ratio is 25, he saidHealth secretary Darez Ahmed said higher-order births, or births after a woman has already had two children, account for only 6% of births in the state but are linked to 30% of maternal deaths, he said. Tamil Nadu speaker J C D Prabhakaran said men must take equal responsibility for household work and parenting.