Japan surpasses 100,000 centenarians for first time — 107,677 aged 100+
As of September 1, 2026 Japan counted 107,677 people aged 100 or more, continuing a decades‑long rise in longevity.
Japan recorded a new milestone in longevity: for the first time more than 100,000 people in the country are aged 100 or older. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that, as of September 1, 2026, there were 107,677 centenarians — 7,914 more than a year earlier.
Long-term trend and gender gap
This marks the 56th consecutive year in which Japan has set a new record for the number of residents aged 100 and over. Women make up the vast majority: 94,298 people, or 87.6 percent, of the total are female.
The rise in centenarians is striking when compared with past decades. In 1963 Japan recorded just 153 people aged 100 or older. The total surpassed 1,000 in 1981, reached 10,000 in 1998 and went over 50,000 in 2012.
The oldest woman currently living in Japan is 114 years old, while the oldest man is 112.
Japan’s continually rising count of centenarians underscores two intertwined realities: the country’s exceptional life expectancy and the accelerating pace of population ageing. Those trends carry social and fiscal implications for healthcare, pensions and long-term care systems.
Photo: press material from the event
