Sri Lanka, Nov. 4 -- South Asia which once boasted of boosting growth with its rising working age population is now ageing fast with Sri Lanka bound to cross the aged threshold fastest, according to a World Bank report launched yesterday.

The report titled 'Demographic Change in South Asia: From Tailwinds to Headwinds for Development' highlights that Sri Lankans will age by 2023 whereas some Indian states such as Kerala have already crossed it.

South Asia accounts for 1.66 billion people - 24 percent of the global population. The working age group stands at 1.17 billion and represents 22 percent of the world.

Demographic tailwinds (the first demographic dividend) boosted growth over the past several decades as more adults entered thei...