Maharashtra Ranks Last Among 21 States in 'Years of Good Life' for Seniors: IIPS Study
Despite ranking fourth nationally on the Human Development Index, Maharashtra has been ranked last among 21 Indian states on the 'Years of Good Life' metric for older residents, according to a new study from the International Institute for Population Sciences in Deonar, Mumbai.
The findings, published in the journal 'Social Indicators Research', highlight that elderly citizens in Maharashtra spend fewer of their remaining years in overall health, financial security, and well-being compared to other states, even though the state features among India's more progressive regions in life expectancy and purchasing power.
Maharashtra ranked 21st among 21 evaluated states on the Years of Good Life (YoGL) scale for individuals aged 60. Prof Dr Srinivas Goli, an author of the study from the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), described the outcome as surprising given Maharashtra's fourth-place standing on the conventional Human Development Index (HDI).
This marks the first instance where the YoGL metric has been calculated across India's states. The indicator was specifically developed to measure quality of life beyond standard economic and developmental gauges like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the HDI.
Under the YoGL framework, a year of life is classified as "good" when an individual meets four specific conditions: living above poverty, experiencing no functional limitations, remaining free from cognitive impairment, and reporting satisfaction with life.
The research was conducted collaboratively by scholars from IIPS in Deonar, the University of Vienna, and Princeton University. To estimate YoGL across the 21 states, the research team analyzed datasets from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India alongside official mortality records from the Sample Registration System.
At the national level, the study found significant disparities between remaining life expectancy and quality years. Across India, an average 60-year-old man can expect roughly 8.2 good years out of an estimated 17.5 remaining years of life. For a 60-year-old woman, the national expectation drops to 5.7 good years out of an estimated 19 remaining years.
