India's Rajya Sabha members older than upper houses in peer economies

Members are also far richer than they were a decade ago; gender profile improves too

The Rajya Sabha , ten seats of which are due for elections on July 24, may be keenly watched for the age profile of new entrants.

India’s upper house of parliament has a smaller share of young people than in many peer economies.  Globally, about 13 per cent of the occupants of the upper House were below 45 years of age. The share of the young in India’s upper house stood at 7.5 per cent. Peers like Brazil, Russia and South Africa had higher representation of younger people (chart 1).

Despite an ageing population, about 10 per cent of the Japanese upper house was under 45 years of age, ahead of India. Around a third of Japan’s population is over 65 years of age, compared to 7 per cent in India.

Changes to the age profile of India's House of Elders has been slow, though some progress is  has been seen since 2018.  About 57 per cent of the sitting sRajya Sabha member in 2022 were aged 60 or below, higher than in 2018 and 2020. Yet, the age profile in 2013 was far younger (chart 2).

The concentration of riches in the Rajya Sabha has been rising meanwhile. The median Rajya Sabha member of parliament (MP) has assets above Rs 5 crore in 2022, compared to under Rs 2 crore in 2013. The richest members have gotten significantly richer, causing the average assets of Rajya Sabha members to nearly quadruple from about Rs 20 crore in 2013 to nearly Rs 80 crore in 2022. Average assets are up 43 per cent from 2018 (chart 3).

Apart from reflecting a larger trend in Indian politics, richer parliamentarians are the outcome of conscious decision-making, according to major general (retired) Anil Verma, head of the Association for Democratic Reforms.

“In a span of four years from 2018 to 2022, this increase in average assets of Rajya Sabha MPs is not normal. This establishes the fact that political parties are giving tickets to richer candidates,” he said.

A younger legislature could well reflect India’s young demographic. But it is unclear how that would influence decision-making. “Under the whip system, the MPs must vote along party lines regardless of their age,” Verma adds.

The whip system requires MPs to vote as per the party line, rather than based on views held by the individual members.

The gender profile, however, has improved. The share of women in the Rajya Sabha was 8.8 per cent in 2013. It is now 13.7 per cent (chart 4).