ArticleJournal of global health2026
Prevalence of widowhood across states and union territories in India, 1993-2021: a repeated cross-sectional study.
Article in Journal of global health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Globally, widowhood affects 258 million females, with India contributing 56 million individuals and 78% of spousal losses being women. Increased life expectancy and reduced mortality inequalities imply a rise in widowhood. Despite profound personal and societal consequences, granular demographic and temporal insights into widowhood in India are limited. This study provides estimates of widowhood prevalence and headcount disaggregated by age and gender at the sub-national level. Methods: The complete case records of ever-married persons from five rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), between 1993 to 2021 were analysed. We estimate widowhood prevalence and headcount by age and gender across states and union territories. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series Population Weight (IPUMS POPWT) methodology was utilised to estimate the headcount. Additionally, Standardized Absolute Change (SAC) was estimated to quantify the change in percentage point of widowhood prevalence. Results: Widowhood prevalence has remained relatively stable; however, the headcount has increased from 40 819 749 to 77 079 889 between 1993 to 2021 in India. At the state-level, the prevalence of widowhood has declined and converged, while its headcount has increased and diverged. Female widowhood prevalence has consistently remained higher, but a faster decline among females, primarily driven by an increased age at marriage. For instance, among females aged 65 years or above, prevalence of widowhood exceeds 50%. This shifts widowhood towards older ages for females, suggesting feminisation and rectangularisation of widowhood in India. A pronounced North-South divide persisted, influenced by differing sociocultural norms. Conclusions: Widowhood prevalence is increasingly concentrated among older females across states in India. Given the multiple vulnerabilities faced by widows, it is imperative to gain insight from areas where widows survive for extended period after their spouse's death as well as areas, where widows have shorter lifespan such as the northern regions to meaningfully address their specific vulnerabilities.
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