Patterns and Correlates of Living Arrangement Among the Elderly Population in India

There have been debates about the actual prevalence of joint families in India and the changes in family structure. The popular notion also seems to be that the joint family system is on the decline, and increasingly families are becoming nuclear. This article investigates the living arrangement patterns of the older population and their association with different household background characteristics. We analyse data from the 71st round of the National Sample Survey, which provides a detailed understanding of the living arrangements among the elderly. It reinforces the conventional perception that co-residing with children is still the most preferred option, with about 75% of elderly parents of either sex opting for the same arrangement in the household. In terms of socio-economic and demographic characteristics, the ‘oldest-old’ categories of the elderly were most likely to prefer staying at home with their children. It was found that 80% of the elderly who were physically disabled or confined stayed with their children because they needed support physically. The major reason why the elderly prefer to live with their children was to receive economic support, with over 50% of the elderly across the nation were found to be fully financially dependent. Further, older women were more likely to desire co-residence as a means of receiving financial support since more than 70% of them were dependent monetarily.