Living Arrangements of the Elderly in India: Who lives alone and what are the patterns of familial support?

This study is first in a series of multi-topic papers on ageing in seven states covering all regions of India. It identifies which elderly are most vulnerable to living alone and familial support they receive from children- instrumental and in-kind. The Building a Knowledge Base on Population Aging in India (BKBPAI) data is used- a novel survey encompassing 9,852 elderly. We find that a majority of elderly co-reside with other family members, but 22 percent of elderly either live alone (6%) or with spouse only (16%). Due to higher widowhood among women, they are more likely to live alone. Migration of children emerges as the most important reason for elderly living alone; however family conflicts and preference for independence are important. Additionally: illiterate, poor and socially marginalized elderly are more likely to live alone. Kin support through monetary transfers and frequent meetings is twice as likely for elderly living alone.