62% of Indians have a positive attitude towards ageing and more than half desire to live forever, finds a first-of-its-kind global survey on longevity and ageing

Indians cite ‘family commitments’ as the #1 barrier to leading a happy and healthy life.

Vote ‘good mental health’ to be as important as physical health for a healthy life.

Delhi, 09 July 2024: Roundglass, a global wholistic wellbeing organization, partnered with Oxford Longevity Project to launch The Global Longevity Survey — a first-of-its-kind worldwide survey on longevity and ageing.

“At a time when the world is navigating a multitude of crises — spanning climate, economic, and humanitarian challenges — longevity has emerged as the modern holy grail. Our global survey showed what priorities and aspirations have towards longevity and Indians came out among the world’s most optimistic,” said Sunny (Gurpreet) Singh, founder of Roundglass. The survey was conducted across 25 countries, including India, and polled 14,000 people.

In India, 1,000 people participated in the survey and shared their unique beliefs and practices to live healthy and live long. Reflecting on the India-specific data, Singh said, “With a rich cultural heritage that venerates longevity and spiritual enlightenment, it’s notable that more than half of India’s respondents want to live forever, contrasting sharply with the nation’s 67-year life expectancy. Indians are on a quest for longevity.”

Released at the Smart Aging Summit at St Hilda’s College in Oxford, The Global Longevity Survey explores insights and attitudes of people toward longevity, covering priorities, concerns, habits, and longevity strategies. For example, its findings show that respondents from every country, except Japan ironically, want to increase their lifespan by at least 10 years to an average of 84 years. Over two-thirds of respondents believe in adopting a holistic approach to longevity, with the strongest belief in Asia Pacific.

The Global Longevity Survey provides first-of-its-kind India-specific data on how people want to age.  

Attitudes Towards Ageing and Longevity in India:

  • Desire to live forever: If they could, more than half (55%) of all Indians polled expressed a desire to live forever compared to 37 per cent of the respondents globally.
  • Indians Confident of Outliving Their Life Expectancy: Two in five (38%) of all respondents in India said they expect to live up to 80 years, thirteen years above the country’s current average life expectancy of 67 years.
  • Indians Believe in a Wholistic Approach to Longevity: More than 70% of Indians believe in adopting a wholistic approach over time to increase healthy lifespans.
  • Top Interventions to Live Long and Live Well: Diet and nutrition emerged as the #1 strategy (56.1%) to stay healthy in old age followed by meditation and yoga (47.8%). Other interventions in descending order:
    • Physical Activity – 38%
    • Staying mentally stimulated – 37.1%
    • Seeing family – 35.9%
    • Travel/Going on Vacations – 33.8%
    • Sex and Intimacy – 23.1%
    • Tobacco Cessation – 11.9%
  • Barriers to Living Well and Living Long: In India, commitments to work (32.5%) and family (31.5%) emerged as the top two barriers preventing respondents from living a healthy and happy life in the past year. Compared to respondents worldwide, Indians rank highest in identifying family commitments as the main obstacle to their health. At the same time, Indians ranked their “immediate family” highest when it comes to “taking responsibility for their personal health and wellbeing”.

One in four Indians (24%) said financial restraints were a barrier to living a healthier life today and more than one in three (36.9%) said they worried about outliving their finances. Globally, financial restraints (38.4%) were the #1 challenge to living well and long.

  • Mental Health Crisis: Nearly one in five (18.1%) of all respondents in India said that they feared “deteriorating mental health” the most in their old age. Gen Z (ages 12 to 27 years) voted “mental health” as a “top health concern in old age” whereas Boomers (ages 60 to 80 years) cited “social isolation” as the biggest challenge in old age. 44.6% of respondents agreed that nurturing social connections and mental health is as important as focussing on physical health for longevity.
  • Positive Attitudes Towards Ageing: 62.4% of respondents have a positive attitude towards ageing and accept it as a healthy part of life. In comparison, globally, only 27.3% of all respondents look forward to growing old.

Overall, globally, respondents were proactive about improving their journey to longevity, with 1 in 5 agreeing that it requires a holistic approach over time.  

Expanding on the survey findings, Prakriti Poddar, Global Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Roundglass, said, “Younger generations today are caught in the challenging act of balancing family, work, and self-care. Our recent survey revealed that Millennials and Gen Z in India see family and work commitments as the biggest obstacles to healthier lifestyles. The pressure to excel both at work and home often means their own wellbeing takes a backseat. At Roundglass, we understand that self-care is the cornerstone of a healthy, fulfilling life and vital for supporting all aspects of wellbeing. The Roundglass Living app is designed to seamlessly integrate wholistic mind-body practices like yoga and meditation into even the busiest schedules. It is a tool to help everyone, especially the younger generations, thrive in all areas of life, creating a harmonious blend of family, work, and self-care.

Emphasizing the significance of the survey Singh added, “The findings of the survey will help us understand existing challenges to ageing and aid the development of tools and strategies to navigate the inevitable demographic shifts. For example, by investing and focusing more on preventive healthcare modalities such as regular health check-ups and digital tools for healthy living, emerging economies like India can reap better demographic dividends.”

Global Insights from the Survey

Globally, 1 in 7 (14%) of respondents expect to live to 100, but this number rises to 1 in 4 (24%) if they can maintain good health. In North America and Europe, 1 in 3 individuals would like to live to 100 in good health. Immortality appeals most to Indians, Egyptians and Chinese, with half of the respondents expressing a desire to live forever.

  • Optimism in Emerging Markets: Countries like Brazil, South Korea, and China show the highest optimism with expected lifespans exceeding 87 years.
  • Growing Acceptance of Wholistic Wellbeing: A proactive and holistic approach to health is gaining traction, promising better health outcomes in the future. 64.3% of adults believe in a holistic approach to longevity, emphasizing physical, mental, and social well-being. Taiwan (81.6%), South Korea (75.2%), and Egypt (74.6%) show the strongest belief in holistic wellness practices.
  • Financial Constraints and Health Concerns: Financial security, mental health, and physical health are the top priorities for a healthier life globally.
  • Mental Health Crisis: Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were the second most common factor preventing a healthier life, following financial constraints. In North America, 1 in 4 (27%) reported poor mental health as a hindrance to a healthier life.

Longevity strategies varied by region, but globally, the top responses were maintaining a healthy diet and nutrition, staying physically fit, and staying mentally stimulated. Additional region-specific strategies included:

  • North America: Staying mentally stimulated and listening/playing music
  • Latin America: Physical fitness, sex, and intimacy
  • Asia Pacific: Diet, nutrition, and yoga
  • Middle East/Africa: More green spaces and family time
  • Europe: Socializing with friends and taking vacations

Overall, global respondents are proactive about improving their journey to longevity, with 1 in 5 strongly agreeing that it requires a holistic approach over time.

 

About the Global Longevity Survey

The Global Longevity survey, conducted in April and May 2024, covers attitudes, habits, hopes, and fears towards longevity across 25 markets, including the Blue Zones*. It includes insights into government policy, finances, pensions, and community influences on longevity. The countries covered in the survey were: UK, USA, India, Canada, Australia, China, Indonesia, Finland, Japan, Costa Rica, South Korea, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Denmark, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Taiwan, South Africa and UAE.  The online survey was conducted in 25 markets to 14,000 adults aged 18+. The sample in each market was nationally representative based on interlocking age and gender quotas.

(*Blue Zones are regions where people live longer than average, maintain good health, and have a high concentration of centenarians.)

About Roundglass

Founded by visionary techpreneur Sunny (Gurpreet) Singh, Roundglass aims to transform global wellbeing by integrating physical and mental health, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability. Singh’s journey began with the realization that healthcare must prioritize prevention and holistic wellbeing, which he now promotes through the Roundglass Living app, providing science-backed tools for stress relief, better sleep, improved diet, and stronger relationships. For more information please visit: https://roundglassliving.com/

The Oxford Longevity Project

The Oxford Longevity Project mission is to make the latest breakthroughs & best practices in longevity accessible to all by bridging high science with actionable information for both medical practitioners and the public. For more information please visit: https://oxfordlongevityproject.org/about-us

To contact Roundglass:

pr.india@roundglass.com

+919654615527