When Do We Bury Our Close Kins? Understanding The Kinloss Over Life Course in India

Amrit John, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Udaya Shankar Mishra, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum

Our study pioneers the investigation of mortality from an experiential perspective in India, a country with limited familial mortality statistics. By analysing data from households interviewed in India's fifth Demographic and Health Survey and examining available information on the deceased and surviving individuals to identify the deceased, the study uses a non-parametric period life-table approach to investigate the timing and probability of relational loss—such as the death of parents, spouses, and children—across different life stages and wealth groups. Findings reveal that, on average, individuals experience parental loss around age 33, with fathers dying earlier than mothers. The cumulative risk of these losses rises with age and varies significantly by gender, with women facing higher risks of widowhood; by age 70, 36% of women have lost their husbands compared to only 9% of men who have lost their wives. Wealth disparities are pronounced, with the poorest experiencing relational losses significantly earlier and more frequently than the richest. For instance, the poorest are twice as likely to lose a parent by age 25 and 2.8 times more likely to lose a child by age 65. This study highlights the critical importance of understanding mortality from an experience perspective across an individual's lifespan.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Mortality and Longevity, Data and Methods, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

See extended abstract.