Academic Voices

A Multidisciplinary Journal
Volume 2, N0. 1, 2012

AGEING POPULATION IN NEPAL:

CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT
Raj Kumar Yadav
Department of Population Studies, TU, TRM Campus, Birgunj

Abstract
Ageing is not yet understood as a demographic as well as socio-economic problem
in Nepal with adequate reflection in the policy and plan documents. However,
gradual decline in fertility, rapidly increasing technological diffusion along
with considerable control in mortality increasing ageing have challenged its
properly management. Internal conflicts, poor socio-economic and inadequate
resource base of the country have difficulties in coping with the problems of
aging espoused with unemployment among adults. Transitions in social status,
economic motive and family attitude, norms and values and transformation
from joint to nuclear family structure have also challenged its properly rearing
and caring. Coherent and aggressive policy and programmed measures are
required to combat the issues of elderly as well as welfare for all in Nepal.

Keywords
Ageing, physical disability, mental disorder, loss of memory, less socialization, loss of immunity power.

Introduction
Ageing is a continuous, universal, progressive,
intrinsic, and deleterious process. It is distinct
from the physical and mental retardation
caused by any other reasons like diseases,
disability or any superficial causes. Physical
disabilities, mental disorder, characterized by
loss of memory and less socialization are some
of the formal characteristics of ageing. These
characteristics should not be accompanied by
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causes other than the age. Loss of immunity

power develops several physical disabilities
in the old age. Ageing in fact is a continuous
and universal process which is progressive in
nature. Ageing has several dimensions. It is
continuous, universal, progressive, intrinsic
and deleterious process with the increase in
age, loss of immunity power expands and so
the attack of diseases increases. Some of the
diseases remain dormant for long and come

AGEING POPULATION IN NEPAL: CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT

into attack once the immunity power of body

becomes weak. The rapid increase in world
ageing, especially in developing countries,
has deemed to develop several questions to
planner and government (Hodgson, 1983).
The number of older persons has tripled over
the last 50 years; it will be more than triple
again over the next 50 years.

total population (2.8 per cent compared to

0.8 per cent). Even though the growth rate
of the 60 or over age group is expected to
decline to 1.6 percent in 2045-250, it still will
be more than 3 times the growth rate of the
total population (0.5 Percent) by the end of
the second quarter of this century ( Hodgson,
1983).

In 1950, there were 205 million persons aged

60 or over throughout the world. At that time,
only 3 countries had more than 10 million
people 60 or older: China (42 million), India
(20Million), and the United States of America
(20 million). Fifty years later, the number of
persons aged 60 or over increased about three
times to 606 million. In 2000, the number of
countries with more than 10 million people
aged 60 or over increased to 12, including
5 with more than 20 million older people:
China (129 million), India (77million), the
United States of America (46 million), Japan
(30 million) and the Russian Federation (27
million). Over the first half of the current
century, the global population 60 or over is
projected to expand by more the three times
to reach nearly 2 billion in 2050. By 2050, 33
countries are expected to have more than 10
million people 60 or over, including 5 countries
with more than 50 million older people: China
( 437 million), India (324 million), the United
States of America (107 million), Indonesia (70
million) and Brazil (58 million) (Hodgson,
1983).

Over the past half- century, both the

worldwide drop in fertility and concurrent
rise in life expectancy have led to the gradual
ageing of the worlds population. Since 1950,
the share of persons ages 65 and older has
risen from 5 percent to 7 percent worldwide.
As the map shows, Europe and Japan have led
the way, with North America, Australia and
New Zealand close behind. However, older
persons are now more than 5 percent of the
inhabitants in many developing countries and
by 2050 are expected to be 19 percent of Latin
Americas population and 18 percent of Asias
(PRB, 2007).

Among SAARC countries, India has the

highest ageing population i.e. 62.1 million
followed by Bangladesh i.e. 7.54 million which
is presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Ageing population situation of
SAARC Countries, 2005-2011 (million)
SAARC Coun2005
2008
2011
tries
India
44.14
57.47
62.1
Pakistan
7
7.0
7.1
Nepal
1
1.1
1.22
Sri Lanka
1.2
1.22
1.25
Bhutan
0.04
0.1
0.04
Bangladesh
4.33
5.9
7.54
Afghanistan
0.6
0.7
0.65
Source: PRB, World population data sheet, 2005,
2008 and 2011.

In Nepal, the older population accounts for

about 7 percent of the total population and

Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012

In the period 1950-1955, the global average

annual rate of increase in number of persons
aged 60 years of over was only slightly higher
than the rate for the total population (both
around 1.8 per cent). Currently, the growth
rate of the older population (1.9 per cent) is
significantly higher than that of the total
population (1.2 per cent). In the near future,
the difference between the two rates is
expected to become even larger as the baby
boom generation starts reaching older ages
in several parts of the world. By 2025-2030,
projections indicate that the population over
60 will be growing 3.5 times as rapidly as the

Present scenario of ageing

population

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Raj Kumar Yadav

Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012

a majority (over 6 out of 10) of them are in

their sixties. This is expected in view of the
recent history of ageing in Nepal. However,
about one fifth of the older population is aged
75 and over. This pattern holds for both men
and women. The extent of ageing varies, albeit
modestly, by gender, rural/urban residence
and development regions. The proportion
of older persons among men is 6.4 percent.
Examination of age distribution of older
persons also shows a modest dominance of
men over women in almost all age groups
except for the age group 75 and over (Table
2). Among the senior citizens, females
outnumber men. The age pattern by gender
observed for the country as a whole also
holds for each development region. Data on
sex ratio of older population by age group
also reveals increasing dominance of men
over women with each successively older
age group, excepting age group 75 and over,
indicating continuation of excess female over
male mortality almost throughout the life
span. The pattern is reversed in the oldest age
groups in which male mortality exceeds that
of female. A similar pattern of imbalanced sex
ratio, in which dominance of older men over
older women increases with each successively
older age group, is observed in almost every
development region (CBS, 2003).

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Table 2: Ageing situation of Nepal, 1952/54

- 2011 (in percent)
Census year
male female
1952/54
4.5
5.4
1961
4.8
5.6
1971
5.3
5.9
1981
5.9
5.5
1991
5.9
5.7
2001
6.4
6.3
2011
6.8
7.1
Source: CBS, 2003, census poreliminary report,
2011.

The declining young age population with

increased old age population indicates
several socio-economic and demographic

inter plays prevalent in the country (Table 3).

The enhanced level of education, migration
towards developed areas, better health
and increasing age at marriage espoused
explanation of decreasing young age
population. This scenario could affect the
labor force situation of the country and alarm
a rethinking regarding the retirement ages.

Perception regarding ageing

The ageing as a challenge to the welfare of
people is not understood in the realm of policy
making and programmed implementation.
The issue of ageing has become more
challenging because the consequences have
not been properly realized and understood in
recent past (Acharya, 2006).
Issues of ageing and elderly population are
closer to each other but they are not exactly
the same. Ageing is the shift or alteration of
the population in the age structure, which
might have multifaceted response in various
age groups including elderly. The reducing
proportion of population in much younger
ages resulting in the slightly increased
proportion of population in reproductive age
for a short period could also be the effect of
ageing that relatively requires address in the
need of young and adult couples. However,
most of the concerns of ageing globally and
nationally in Nepal are focused on the need of
elderly population and mainstreaming them
into national development progress (Acharya,
2006).

Demographic trends and its

impact
The age structure of the Nepali population
has been changing over the years with a
shift towards older ages increasing gradually
declined fertility and relatively controlled
adult mortality. Political awareness and change
in traditional behavior have insisted people to
migrate from distant hills and mountains to
relatively developed areas where amenities
are available. This movement of people has

AGEING POPULATION IN NEPAL: CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT

Furthermore, challenges in employment for

young adult people have created pressure
for them to move away from home, village/
town as well as the country and abroad. Such
movement of young adults creates challenges
for the caring of aged people and burden to
the remaining women and children hindering
their personal career development.
The
controlled
mortality
through
immunization and other technological
advancement, awareness on the consequences
of high fertility and resulted low CEB with
potential youth migration from rural areas
to urban centers in search of opportunities
have made ageing a parallel problem in Nepal.
The older are getting older on the one hand
and younger have the challenges of life on the
other leaving no time to take care of elderly,
whereas the government and non-government
sector had not anticipated the problem
in immediate past. Hence they have no
preparation for making support to them. This
traumatic condition has left many of families
with children away from home. Furthermore,
the burning conflicts in distant rural areas
have ignited an exodus of young adults in
search of shelter in urban areas leaving
parents and family (women) with children
in village. The elderly population has thus
faced multifaceted problems with inadequate
government policies and programs:
Welfare for the elderly: - The welfare for the
elderly people must be the agenda in three
levels. First is obviously the government,
second the society or the efforts by nongovernment agencies and third and vital is
family. There exists a structural paradigm
through which a society functions in every
population. The magnitude of the role of
people/individual may differ from one social

setting to another, one ethnic group to another

and one economic construction to another.
However, the role of elderly, their welfare
and their position in family and community
level decision making is almost defined and
definite in every sub-population. Gifts to
elderly in particular (fathers day/mother
day) ceremonies symbolize the responsibility
of younger generation to take care of elderly.
There is a provision of the government to run
elderly homes in Nepal. The strict condition is
that the elderly people have no closer relatives
to take care of them. Many aged persons
ignored by their own descendants have no
place in such elderly homes, or they have to
furnish fake information to obtain the facility.
If both old spouses are on the street, they have
difficulty to get admission in the Government
shelters, because the provision is that they
should not be in the status of currently
married.
The Tenth Five-Year Plan, Nepal has
mentioned the better management and
services to elderly under the policies related
to social welfare, but it has not recognized
the ageing process as serious policy thread
under the population policy section. A
lack of understanding of underpinning
demographic indicators that affect socioeconomic development is still prevalent in the
Nepalese policy sphere. Elderly homes and
related documentations are under the scope
the Ministry of Women, Children and Social
Welfare, which has no institutional network
up to grass-root level. Also the unit that
distributes the old-age allowance of almost
two dollars per month is the wing of Ministry
of Local Development. Many elderly are even
deprived of this facility as they have failed to
produce citizenship certificate or other valid
Government documents.
A number of social, spiritual and religious
non-governmental organizations have also
contributed to support to elderly people in
Nepal. They offer their services in various ways
to this segment of population. Their services

Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012

resulted in change of food habits, health

service women. These factors contribute to
ultimate increase in life expectancy at birth
and alteration of age structure upwards with
challenges to be addressed for the care of
elderly people in Nepal.

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Raj Kumar Yadav

include supply of food, clothing, footwear,

medicines and clinical service. In addition,
the spiritual services as telling the stories from
the religious scriptures, devotional songs,
and recreational tour to some places are also
provided to them. The physical level services
as bathing, hair care, nail care, and washing
clothes are also provided. Most of the NGOs
have a kind of casual service programmes
to the elderly. There is a lack of perpetual
services that is sustainable and effective. The
NGO team returns of the service and elderly
also return to their real status. Obviously, a
majority of aged people are living in families
even with some misunderstanding and
with gaps in generations from parents to
descendants.
There are also legal provisions mentioning the
duties of taking care of parents, grand parents
by the family, however the transition in society
and family system in Nepal have contributed
to loneliness of elderly. The increasing trend
of living away from the parental home with
own nuclear family and gaps in technology,
thoughts, norms and systems values have
prevented the old couples to live with their
sons and daughter-in-laws.

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Economic approach to ageing: - There is

paucity of information on the economic
aspects of elderly people in Nepal.

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Shift of age structure from young to old age

has some implications in labour force that
displays the elderly from measure income
earning sector. When they are their physical
capability to work, supervise and monitor
naturally reduces and the ambitious younger
generations replace them. In this process, the
elderly lose the decision making authority,
command on resource base and become
depend even for their ordinary needs to be
fulfilled. Younger generations employment
opportunities must be increased but not in
the cost of deprivation of the older generation.
Nepal has no sound official social security
system. Whatever property inherited from

the ancestors and the elderly can retain with

them as the security measures in changing
social phenomena. Increasing international
gap and lack of understanding has resulted in
hesitation of parents to transfer the property
to descendents to ensure their future, which
in turn has been creating further conflicts
between the generation and causing for
deteriorated security of elderly people.
There is lack of separate effective scheme
for elderly peoples health care facilities in
Nepal. Whatever facilities are rendered by the
Government, non-Government and private
agencies are for all and senior citizens have
also been there to avail services. Specific
clinics of elderly, separate wards or some
special arrangements to ease their health
hurdles and public expenditure segregated for
these activities are in absence. Nevertheless,
out of the total health expenses, a large share
go to the care of elderly is rather obvious.
The Government and some public enterprises
have the scheme of pension in Nepal. Less
than two percent of populations are in the
government services and, therefore, that does
not ensure financially secured future of all
population. Moreover, an old-age allowance
of US dollar two per month does not satisfy
the need of the elderly people. Schemes of self
reliance of elderly people for their continuous
participation in society can upgrade their
living standards and utilized their experience
and skills. Instead of focusing on the pensions
system to only former government employees
an income generating system that pays for
the experience and skills of elderly is more
appreciated.

Management of ageing in Nepal

In Nepal, different ages are used as starting
of ageing. At the Government level, the
retirement for civil servants is fixed at 58
years. Therefore civil servants, the ageing
are supposed to start after retirement. In
universities, the retirement age of teachers
and administrator is 63 years. Therefore their

AGEING POPULATION IN NEPAL: CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT

ageing starts after 63 years. For legal activities

and granting of pension to general mass, the
age fixed for a person to be old is 75 years.

2002: 17) must be made a target with adequate

advocacy especially in transitional societies
(MoHP, 2005).

The joint family structures with great

grand parents are rare in these days. The
roles have been changed dramatically that
there are no people to listen to the elderly.
Madrid convention has focused on the
intergenerational cooperation to further
strengthen the stature of elderly people in
family. The westernized and individualized
family model does not support to these ideals.
Nepal, being a traditional society had enjoyed
the familial ties with elderly people in past,
however, the changed family model does
not support to elderly and people need their
own income sources even to fulfill ordinary
demands in old ages.

Conclusion

A survey depicts that there exists a considerable

gap in generations in Nepal (Himal Magazine,
April 2005). The younger generation has
ambitions of modernization and older
generation wants to continue traditional
norms and values. The gap is translated into
family conflicts and migration of the member
of younger generation towards urban centers
or abroad. The intergenerational solidarity
as perceived by the Madrid Assembly (UN,

References
Acharya, B. (2006). Population ageing and its
challenge in Nepal. Nepal Population Journal,
13 (12), Page 79-89.
CBS. (2003). Population monograph of Nepal (Vol.
II). Kathmandu: Author.
CBS. (2011). Census preliminary report. Kathmandu:
Author.
MoHP. (2009). Sandrav Samagri. Janashankhiya
Mahasakha, Kathmandu: Author.
PRB. (2007). World Population Data Sheet.
Washington. Author.
Singh, M.L. (2003). Ageing of the Population of
Nepal, Population Monograph of Nepal (Vol.
II). Kathmandu: CBS.

Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012

Among the three traditional, transitional and

modern societies, the gap is much widened
in transitional societies. Prevalent dualism of
traditional and modern behavior encourages
controversy between the generations and
many times such conflicts ruin the families.
The difficulty to accept change among elderly
people and lack of understanding of needs of
elderly among the young adults are the major
barriers of a smooth family life. Government,
non-government and private sectors efforts
to establish coherence between and among
generation are required especially in the
transitional societies.

There is little literature available on present

scenario, trends, impacts, welfare and
management of ageing in Nepal. Ageing is only
an economic issues but also a social, cultural
and political one of the country. Most of the
elders are fighting the losing battle of survival.
The Government and other concerned
agencies should conduct a compressive survey
covering all aspects of ageing population: size,
age structure, expertise and area of interest to
formulate police regarding elderly population.
These agencies need to work together to create
awareness among communities and to make
productive use of elderly population so that
the elderly generation can live their rest of life
with dignity. At the same time elderly issues
should also viewed from gender perspective.

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