Kashmir is growing older faster than its public policies acknowledge. 

Population ageing is no longer a distant demographic shift but a reality unfolding in homes, villages and cities across the valley, even as decision-makers continue to treat it as tomorrow’s challenge. 

Recent research leaves little room for complacency.

The United Nations Population Fund’s India Ageing Report 2023 estimates that Indians aged 60 and above now account for more than 10 percent of the country’s population, with that share projected to approach one-fifth by 2050. 

Findings from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) point to another challenge. 

Older Indians live longer while managing hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and other chronic illnesses that demand continuous treatment rather than occasional hospital visits.

Jammu and Kashmir stands squarely within this transition. 

Life expectancy has improved, fertility has declined and thousands of young people leave home for education and employment. 

Families once cared for ageing parents under one roof, while migration and smaller households have altered that equation. 

Elderly couples increasingly spend their later years alone, often relying on neighbours or distant relatives when illness strikes. 

Public policy still assumes families can bridge that gap indefinitely, even as social realities move in another direction.

Healthcare stands at the centre of this debate. 

Hospitals remain geared toward acute illness, while geriatric medicine occupies only a small corner of the public health system. Dementia care, rehabilitation, palliative care and mental health services receive limited attention despite growing demand. 

Primary health centres could identify chronic illness earlier through routine screening and follow-up care, reducing complications that eventually overwhelm tertiary hospitals. 

Early intervention also lowers long-term medical costs while improving quality of life.

Financial security forms the second pillar. 

Thousands of senior citizens depend on modest pensions or financial help from children whose own incomes face increasing pressure. Older workers from the informal economy often enter retirement without savings substantial enough to meet rising healthcare expenses. 

Pension systems therefore call for stronger support, simpler access and periodic revisions that keep pace with inflation rather than falling behind it.

Communities also influence how people experience old age. Accessible public transport, safe walkways, neighbourhood activity centres and community health volunteers help older residents remain socially connected and physically active. 

Religious institutions, civil society organisations and local governments can build support systems that reduce isolation before loneliness develops into depression or declining health.

Demographic change rarely captures news interest because its effects emerge gradually. Delay, however, raises the eventual financial and social costs. 

Kashmir still has time to prepare through thoughtful investment, stronger public institutions and practical planning. That opportunity grows smaller with passing years, while the number of older citizens continues to grow larger. 

Public policy should begin planning for that future today rather than scrambling to catch up tomorrow.