In the next few years, Odisha is going to become the state of the elderly. Now, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of the state significantly lower than the national average. Now the number of youth and seniors are increasing in the state while the number of children is decreasing. Therefore, it is estimated that by 2036 the population of Odisha will be lower.
The details regarding Low fertility rate has been discussed in Odisha Development Conclave-2023 organized in Bhubaneswar. Such information has been obtained from the Odisha Development Conclave 2023. In 2021, the number of 5 to 14-year-old children in the state was 16 percent, and by 2036, it has been reported that it will reach to 13 percent with a decrease of 3 percent.
As per the survey, couples in 14 districts of the state are expressing their desire to limit their families to one child. Due to which, within the next 10 years, 30 percent of the families in the state will have only one child. However, there are exceptions in Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts. Because in these two districts there has been information that couples are expressing their desire for more than 2 children.
Experts have informed that this fertility rate exception will become a cause of concern for Odisha after the next 20 years. On the other hand, due to the declination of fertility rate, Odisha’s elderly population is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The rate of which is now 4 percent higher in Odisha than in India.
In particular, there is data that the population over 60 years of age is going to increase from 3.9 million in 2011 to 8 million by 2036. Meanwhile, there has been a change in the youth population in the state. The population aged 15 to 59 continues to grow. The impact of these changes will be on education, health, employment, labour force, work efficiency and social security.