Number of elderly people grows 3.41 times faster than population growth

There are 1.53 crore people aged 65 or above in the country currently, according to the preliminary report of the Population and Housing Census 2022.

Their number is growing faster than the population growth rate. The number of elderly people was 1.02 crore in 2011.

The report recently published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) says the average life expectancy in Bangladesh stood at 72.8 years in 2020 with an increase of 3.8 years from 69 in 2011.

It found that the number of elderly people has increased by 50.01% in the last 11 years, while the size of the population has increased by only 14.66%. That is, the increase rate of the number of elderly people is 3.41 times higher than the population growth.

The report says with the increase in the number of elderly people in the society, the demand for allocation in the health sector is also increasing to meet their health benefits and nutritional needs.

However, the government's allocation to the health sector has remained below 1% of GDP for decades.

Experts have raised questions in this regard observing the International Elderly Day (1 October) saying that the trend of rising the number of the elderly people in the country is alarming due to absence of proper initiative to manage them.

They also said that the elderly people in Bangladesh are facing economic, social and health vulnerability. They have urged the government to increase public spending on the health sector by at least three fold to ensure proper treatment facilities for the senior citizens.

Dr Syed Abdul Hamid, professor at the Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University, told The Business Standard, "The fact that the economic and health benefits for the elderly have not increased in line with the increase in the number of elderly people is worrying. If initiatives are not taken for the health benefits of the elderly, they may become a burden to the country in the future."

He said that our hospitals do not have adequate medical facilities for those who have contributed all their lives to the country.

"If some young people could be trained to take the elderly people to the hospitals and provide them suitable services, it could ensure their employment too," he added.

He further said, "The government is now spending less than 1% of GDP on health services, it should be increased to 3%."

Mohamamad Mainul Islam, professor of Population Sciences, Dhaka University, said, "According to the government policy, people aged 60 years and above are considered as senior citizens and the number is 9.28% of the total population (more than 2.5 crore). The number of people over 65 years of age is 5.88% of the total population."

He said that after the age of 60 years, medical expenses increase due to more frequent health problems of people. 

"Many senior citizens do not have enough savings to meet their needs. The government allocation for the social security programme is also less. In this regard, plans could be formulated to increase the workability of the elderly people."

The report mentioned that there is a need for reorienting the existing institutional arrangements for health service delivery and to increase investment – both financial and human resources – in developing an appropriate Elderly and Palliative Health Care (EPHC) service system.

It proposed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to promote multi-sector collaboration with other ministries, private sector, NGOs, CSOs, etc for providing Enhanced Personal Health Care (EPHC).

Establishing palliative care units in all medical college hospitals, introducing modern medicines and advance equipment to all medical college hospitals, capacity development of health personnel have also been recommended regarding palliative care.

Considering the rising per capita out-of-pocket expenditure, the planning commission recommended introducing a special card for the elderly people to reduce health expenditure in hospitals.

As per the report, the demographic dividend would start to shrink in 2035 and Bangladesh would start to shift from an "ageing" society in 2029 and it will start to shift as "aged" society in 2047.

The potential support ratio – the number of working age population (15 to 64) required to support one elderly person (65+) – has declined and projected to decline even faster in future, the report added.

Historical data reveled that about 20 working age persons were supporting 1 senior dependent in 1960 and the number fell to 13 by 2019.

The population census found a support ratio of 11 in 2022 which would reduce to six in 2040 and three by 2065.