Japan’s centenarian population tops 100,000 for first time; 88% are women
Government data records 107,677 people aged 100 or more, an annual rise of 7,914 that highlights Japan’s rapid ageing.
Japan has, for the first time, more than 100,000 people aged 100 or older, official figures show, highlighting the country’s rapid population ageing and long-term demographic decline.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reported that there are now 107,677 centenarians in Japan, an increase of 7,914 from the previous year. Nearly 88% of them are women.
Long-term trend
The growth in the number of centenarians is part of a decades-long trend: in 1998 there were only 10,000 people aged 100 or older in the country. The widening gap between the number of female and male centenarians remains pronounced.
Among the oldest citizens, Fujio Kishimoto, a 114-year-old resident of Kyoto, was recently declared the oldest Japanese woman, while the country's oldest man is 112 years old.
Demographers and policymakers point to these figures as evidence of mounting pressures on health care, pensions and social services as Japan’s population both ages and shrinks; the new totals underscore long-term challenges for the country’s social and economic systems.
Photo: AP)
