Evaluating Life Expectancy of Indian Elderly by Living Arrangement Pattern: An application of Static and Dynamic Life Table Approach

Naina Purkayastha, Dibrugarh University
Jiten Hazarika, Vice Chancellor Dibrugarh University Assam

The present study aims to conduct an in-depth life table analysis by both static and dynamic life table approach to capture the estimated ‘remaining years of life’ of elderly population in India in each living arrangement types. Data for the present study was extracted from the 5th round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Households with 636,699 usual residents in NFHS-5 (2019-2020) are considered. Five distinct variables representing various "living arrangement" categories have been created, ensuring their mutually exclusive nature. These encompass "Elderly living alone," "Elderly living with spouse only," "Elderly living in a two-generation household," "Elderly living in a three-generation household," and "Elderly living with others." Life tables are constructed for all the four different types of living arrangement. The finding reveals that the life expectancy of elderly individuals residing in one-person (OP) households is generally shorter than that of those living in one-couple (OC) households and that the life expectancy of both is lower than the life expectance of the elderly population as a whole, a trend consistent across both static and multi-state life table analyses. The presence of family appears to positively influence life expectancy, particularly in urban areas where social isolation can be more prevalent.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Data and Methods, Mortality and Longevity, Comparative methods

See paper.