Integrating Time and Monetary Transfers to Understand Generational Support and Ageing in India

Aparna Roy , International Institute for Population Sciences
T.V. Sekher, International Institute for Population Sciences

This paper examines the lifecycle economic contributions and deficits of older adults in India by integrating market and non-market flows through National Transfer Accounts (NTA) and National Time Transfer Accounts (NTTA). Using 2019 macro-level aggregates from National Accounts Statistics and micro-level datasets including IHDS-II, NSS 75th Round, and UDISE+, we construct per capita age profiles of labour income, public and private consumption, and unpaid household production. NTA estimates lifecycle deficits (LCD) as excess of consumption over labour income, while NTTA monetises unpaid care work using input-based wage valuations. We compute redefined economic dependency ratios by weighting per capita contributions and consumption relative to ages 30–49, capturing both monetary and time transfers. Our analysis highlights the significant economic and care contributions of individuals aged 60+, revealing gendered patterns in unpaid care and potential implications for policy on elderly support, workforce planning, and social protection in low- and middle-income settings.

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 Presented in Session 9. Intergenerational Solidarity, Transfers and Responsibilities