India’s demographic story is no longer one of uniform population growth but of sharp regional variations. While the southern states are ageing rapidly and outward migration from them is slowing, the northern states are experiencing a youth bulge that is reshaping labour outflows. This emerging north-south divide could redefine India’s migration dynamics and it holds economic implications, particularly for remittances and labour supply to West Asia.
Overall, as India’s internal demographic divide deepens, the key challenge will be to ensure that the migration potential of the north’s youth is matched by the skill and policy support once enjoyed by the south. Unless this is addressed, India’s next migration story may be one of quantity without quality, where we will still see a flow of workers but without the same economic multiplier that once made Kerala’s Gulf connection a global success story. https://thewire.in/labour/youthful-north-ageing-south-the-demography-reshaping-indias-gulf-story
by Akshat Sogani
30/10/2025