Previous Year Question
In South Asia, the country with the largest percentage of aged population is
Bhutan
India
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
An Ageing Population generally refers to a population in which the proportion of older persons is increasing. United Nations population-ageing data also commonly use the population aged 60 years or over as an indicator.
According to World Population Ageing 2013, about 12.5% of Sri Lanka's population was aged 60 years or over, the highest among the South Asian countries given in the question—Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Comparatively low fertility and higher life expectancy in Sri Lanka have contributed to a faster process of population ageing than in several other South Asian countries.
Population ageing does not merely mean an increase in the absolute number of older persons; the important point is an increase in the proportion of elderly persons in the total population.
For this reason, Sri Lanka is counted among the relatively more aged populations of South Asia.