Longitudinal Ageing Study in India
Also called: LASI · Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) is a national survey of older people. It runs under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with IIPS Mumbai as the agency that carries it out. Longitudinal means it is a panel survey: it goes back to the same people in rounds, called waves, and records how their lives change as they grow old. It records health, functional limitations (difficulty with daily tasks such as walking, bathing or dressing), family support and economic condition. This makes it the main data source for policy on India's ageing population. Census 2011 counted 10.38 crore people aged 60+.
Example
In LASI Wave-I, about 5.2% of older persons reported ill-treatment or abuse. LASI also shows that many older people have functional limitations. That evidence supports elder-care services such as mobile medicare units, physiotherapy clinics and assistive devices under the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY).
Don't confuse with
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS): NFHS also comes under MoHFW, with IIPS Mumbai as nodal agency. But it surveys a fresh sample in each round and focuses on fertility, child health and women's health. LASI follows the same older people over time.
- India Ageing Report 2023: This is a UNFPA–IIPS report that analyses ageing data. It is a report that interprets data, while LASI is the survey that collects it.