Record High Reached as Population of 100+ Year Olds Continues to Grow

As of September 1st, the number of centenarians in Japan reached a new all-time high, marking the 55th consecutive year of increase. The health ministry's data, compiled from basic resident registers, revealed a total of 99,763 individuals aged 100 years or older. This figure represents a significant rise of 4,644 from the previous year.

The data indicates a substantial gender disparity within the centenarian population. Women constitute the vast majority, accounting for 87,784, or approximately 88 percent, of the total.

The growth in the centenarian population has been remarkable over the decades. In 1963, when the statistics were first recorded, there were only 153 centenarians. The number surpassed 1,000 in 1981, 10,000 in 1998, 50,000 in 2012, and 90,000 in 2022, before nearly reaching the 100,000 mark this year.

The centenarian rate per 100,000 population was 80.58 as of September 1st. Shimane Prefecture had the highest rate at 168.69, maintaining its top position for 13 consecutive years. Kochi and Tottori followed with rates of 157.16 and 144.63, respectively. Saitama recorded the lowest rate at 48.50, preceded by Aichi and Osaka.

The oldest individuals in Japan are Shigeko Kagawa, a 114-year-old woman residing in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, and Kiyotaka Mizuno, a 111-year-old man from Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture. Notably, Reona Esaki, the 1973 Nobel laureate in Physics, celebrated his 100th birthday in March.

During the fiscal year 2025, which extends through March of the following year, 52,310 individuals are expected to reach the age of 100. In recognition of this milestone, the Japanese government provides congratulatory letters and silver cups to new centenarians.