Srinagar, June 13: Ladakh is witnessing a significant demographic shift, with the proportion of elderly residents rising sharply amid persistently low fertility rates, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 (2023-24).
The survey shows that people aged 60 years and above now account for 14.6 percent of Ladakh’s population, up from 8.9 percent in NFHS-5 (2019-21).
The increase of nearly six percentage points represents a 64 percent rise in the share of senior citizens within just three years, highlighting a rapidly ageing population in the Union Territory.
At the same time, the younger population is shrinking. Children below five years constitute only 6.7 percent of Ladakh’s population, reflecting declining fertility and changing family structures.
The ageing trend is closely linked to low birth rates. Ladakh’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR)—the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years—stands at 1.6 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population over time.
Although the figure has risen slightly from 1.3 recorded in NFHS-5, it remains significantly below replacement level.
A similar, but slight demographic transition is underway in J&K, where the proportion of elderly people has increased from 10.4 percent to 12.8 percent.
The Union Territory’s fertility rate stands at 1.5 children per woman, among the lowest in the country and lower than Ladakh’s.
Experts note that ageing societies often place greater demands on healthcare systems, social security programmes and elderly care services.
The survey also points to changing health patterns, particularly among women.
In J&K, 36.7 percent of women aged 15-49 years were found to be overweight or obese, up from 29.4 percent in NFHS-5, indicating a rise in lifestyle-related health risks.
Among men, 27.1 percent were overweight or obese. Undernutrition remained comparatively low, with 9.5 percent of both women and men classified as underweight.
Alongside these demographic and health trends, the survey records progress in women’s education, digital access and financial inclusion.
In Ladakh, 69.3 percent of women aged six years and above have attended school, while 58.2 percent of women aged 15-49 years have completed at least 10 years of schooling. Internet use among women has reached 78.9 percent.
In J&K, 91 percent of women reported owning and using their own bank or savings accounts, while nearly 73 percent said they owned and used a mobile phone.
Women’s participation in household decision-making was also high, reported by 92.5 percent of married women in Ladakh and 93.8 percent in J&K.
The survey found high levels of menstrual hygiene awareness, with the use of hygienic menstrual protection methods among women aged 15-24 years reaching 97.5 percent in Ladakh and 94.3 percent in J&K.
However, gender-based violence remains a concern. Spousal violence was reported by 11.3 percent of ever-married women in Ladakh and 13.6 percent in J&K.
Teenage motherhood remained low, affecting only 0.8 percent of women aged 15-19 years in Ladakh and 1.1 percent in J&K.
