Punjab ageing faster while child population share lower than national average

Chandigarh: Punjab's population is ageing faster than the all-India average, with the state reporting a lower share of children and a higher share of elderly people.According to the latest Sample Registration System Statistical Report for 2024, children in the 0-4 age group account for 6% of Punjab's population, compared with the national average of 7.9%. The gap is visible in both rural and urban areas. In rural Punjab, the share is 6.2%, against India's 8.6%, while in urban Punjab it is 5.7%, compared with the national urban average of 6.6%.The difference widens in 0-14 age group. Punjab's under-15 population stands at 19.2%, well below the all-India figure of 24%. Rural Punjab has 19.3% of its population below 15 years, against the national rural average of 25.6%. In urban areas, Punjab's figure is 19%, compared with India's 20.9%. At the same time, Punjab has a larger working-age population than the national average. People in the 15-59 age group make up for 69.3% of the state's population, compared to 66.4% for India. In urban Punjab, this share is 70.3%, higher than the national urban figure of 69%.The state also has a higher elderly population. People aged 60 and above form 11.5% of Punjab's population, compared with the all-India average of 9.7%. The elderly share is higher among women in both Punjab and India. In Punjab, 12% of females are aged 60 and above, compared with 11% of males. Nationally, the corresponding figures are 10.1% for females and 9.3% for males. Punjab's rural areas show an even stronger ageing trend. The share of elderly people in rural Punjab is 12.2%, against the national rural average of 9.4%. In urban Punjab, the elderly population stands at 10.7%, slightly above the national urban average of 10.1%. Punjab's total fertility rate stands at 1.4 in 2024, below the national TFR of 1.9 and also below the replacement level of 2.1. This indicates that Punjab has fewer young children entering the population base, while the proportion of older people is rising.Drop in MMRPunjab has also recorded a reduction in its maternal mortality ratio (MMR), which dropped to 77 per lakh live births in 2022-2024, compared with the national average of 87. In SRS 2021-2023, the state's MMR was 90 per lakh live births. Punjab has registered an infant mortality rate (IMR) of 16 per lakh population, against the national average of 24; a neonatal mortality rate (NMR) of 11, against the country's average of 18; and an under-5 mortality rate of 19, compared with India's average of 28. Punjab has already achieved the SDG 2030 goal with respect to NMR, which is below 12, marking a significant achievement well before the 2030 deadline. Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh attributed the drop in MMR to the govt's comprehensive approach to reproductive and child healthcare. He said the state had strengthened institutional healthcare delivery systems and ensured quality maternal and neonatal care facilities across Punjab.