Japan becomes first country to top 100,000 centenarians as aging squeeze grows

Japan’s number of residents aged 100 and older has entered six figures, which USA Today reported is a global first.

Here’s what to know

According to USA Today, figures released by Japan’s Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry showed 107,677 centenarians as of Sept. 1. That total was 7,914 higher than a year earlier, marking the 56th straight annual increase.

Women account for almost all Japanese people aged 100 or older. The total includes 94,298 women and 13,379 men.

The growth has been dramatic. Japan had 153 centenarians in 1963, passed 1,000 in 1981, and exceeded 10,000 in 1998, per the BBC.

For context, the U.S. Census Bureau projected 101,000 centenarians in the United States in 2024, but that figure was only an estimate.

More background

Japan’s unusually long life expectancy has made the country a focus for researchers looking at how so many residents live into very old age.

Nutritious diets and widely used health screening programs emerged as common factors influencing public health.

Those patterns are tied to lower mortality from illnesses like heart disease and cancer. Many Japanese people eat meals built around fish, vegetables, and rice, and older adults often stay active by walking, cycling, using public transit, and stretching.

But the same trend creates pressure elsewhere. Scientific American reported that Japan’s aging population and low birth rate strain public resources as a smaller workforce supports more older people.

“What’s really critical about this is quality of life,” University of Illinois Chicago epidemiologist Jay Olshansky told the outlet. “Most people at older ages now are living on manufactured time — time that was created for us by our physicians and by the public health community.”

Japan’s health ministry said that maintaining the country’s social security system will become increasingly important as the population continues to age.

Where can I learn more?

Japan’s longevity milestone raises more questions about what helps people stay healthy into old age.

• In Japan, fine-particle pollution may be widening health risks between younger and older generations.

• By 2050, extreme heat could threaten far more older adults, raising public costs.

• Experts say eating beans every day and staying active can extend life.

• In greener neighborhoods, more trees correlate with longer lives and better health.

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