Apoorva Jadhav
The demographic dividend is the potential economic growth a country can enjoy as a result of shifts in its population’s age structure. India often finds itself at the center of discussions about this concept. Much of the contemporary discourse around India’s rise as a major global economic power rests on the assumption that a youthful population will translate into sustained economic growth. The logic is straightforward: a smaller share of dependents (in India’s case, mostly children) relative to the working age population enables greater investment per child, particularly in healthcare, nutrition, education, and skills. Better-equipped workers are, in turn, more productive, boosting per capita income. In addition, women are more likely to enter the labor force, raising household incomes and overall growth.
For many decades, optimism about India’s demographic boon was well-founded. But that optimism is now under strain. There is a growing realization, supported by a mounting body of research, that reaping the demographic dividend depends on a conducive policy environment that prioritizes good healthcare, quality education, decent employment opportunities, and gender empowerment.
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