Centenarian


A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100. Because life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarians worldwide in 2012, and 573,000 in 2020, almost quadruple the 2000 estimate of 151,000.
As world population and life expectancy continue to increase, the number of centenarians is expected to increase substantially in the 21st century. According to the Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom, one-third of babies born in the country in 2013 are expected to live to 100.
According to a 1998 United Nations demographic survey, Japan is expected to have 272,000 centenarians by 2050; other sources suggest that the number could be closer to 1 million. The incidence of centenarians in Japan was one per 3,522 people in 2008.
In Japan, the population of centenarians is highly skewed towards females. Japan in fiscal year 2016 had 57,525 female centenarians, while there were 8,167 males, a ratio of 7:1. The increase of centenarians was even more skewed, at 11.6:1.

Worldwide incidence by country

The total number of centenarians in the world is uncertain. The Population Division of the United Nations estimated that there were 23,000 in 1950, 110,000 in 1990, 150,000 in 1995, 209,000 in 2000, 324,000 in 2005, 455,000 in 2009, 675,000 in 2019 and 935,000 in 2024.
These older estimates, however, did not take into account downward adjustments of national estimates made by several countries such as the United States. The UN estimated in 2012, as a result of these adjustments, that there were only 316,600 centenarians worldwide. The following table gives estimated centenarian populations by country, including both the latest and the earliest known estimates, where available.
A study which received a 2024 Ig Nobel Prize found these numbers are inflated by welfare and pension fraud and poor record-keeping, neither of which are uniform across jurisdictions.
CountryLatest estimate Earlier estimates Centenarians per
100,000 people
Andorra7 –10.2
Argentina8,119 234 ; 863 17.3
Australia6,588 50 24.2
Austria1,756 232, 25 19.2
Barbados114 –39.9
Belgium2,928 23 24.9
Brazil37,814 7,146 12.5
Bulgaria353 233 5.5
Cambodia3,143 –20.2
Canada11,672 –28.3
China54,166 4,469, 17,800 4.0
Colombia19,400 –36.9
Croatia944 244 23.3
Czech Republic911 404 8.4
Denmark1,251 32 20.9
Dominica23 31.9
Estonia206 42 15.1
Finland1,153 11 20.6
France31,269 100 47.1
Germany16,758 232 20.2
Hungary906 76, 227 9.4
Iceland47 3 12.1
India27,000 –2.1
Ireland956 87 18.1
Israel3,328 –34.8
Italy21,211 99 36.0
Japan99,763 81, 105, 97, 155, 54,397 80.6
Malaysia2,296 6.7
Mexico18,295 2,403 14.5
Netherlands2,555 18 14.4
New Zealand1,078 18 ; 297 20.9
Norway1,309 44 24.1
Peru2,707 1,682 8.4
Poland7,387 500 19.6
Portugal3,282 1,612 30.5
Romania
Russia22,600 6,700 15.5
Singapore1,500 41 26.38
Slovenia386 2, 224 18.2
Slovakia401 7.4
South Africa22,525 15,581 36.7
South Korea8,737 96117.1
Spain19,573 4,269 41.1
Sweden2,750 46 26.1
Switzerland1,948 7 22.1
Thailand45,561 –69.1
Turkey6,247 –7.3
United Kingdom16,600 107 24
United States98,034 2,300, 53,364 28.8
Uruguay519 –15.8
World estimates934,776 23,000, 316,600 11.6

Supercentenarians

A supercentenarian, sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian, is a person who has reached the age of 110 years. This age milestone is only achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians.
Even rarer is a person who has lived to 115. There are 81 people in recorded history who have indisputably reached 115. Only three of the people who have reached 115 are men. Ethel Caterham, Marie-Rose Tessier, Naomi Whitehead, Lucia Laura Sangenito, and Yolanda Beltrão de Azevedo are the only people currently alive who have verifiably reached the 115 year milestone.
Jeanne Calment from France is the only age-verified person in human history to have reached the age of 120 years.

Recognition and congratulations

History, blessings and traditions

An aspect of blessing in many cultures is to offer a wish that the recipient lives to 100 years old. Among Hindus in India, where touching feet of elders and respected is a tradition, people who touch the feet of elders are often blessed with "May you live a hundred years". In Sweden, the traditional birthday song states, May he/she live for one hundred years. In Judaism, May you live to be 120 years old is a common blessing. In Poland, Sto lat, a wish to live a hundred years, is a traditional form of praise and good wishes, and the song "sto lat, sto lat" is sung on the occasion of the birthday celebrations—arguably, it is the most popular song in Poland and among Poles around the globe.
According to legends, Sages from ancient India lived and meditated for tens of thousands of years while Great Kings ruled their kingdoms for thousands of years.
Chinese emperors were hailed to live ten thousand years, while empresses were hailed to live a thousand years.
In Italy, "A hundred of these days!" is an augury for birthdays, to live to celebrate 100 more birthdays. Some Italians say "A cent'anni!", which means "To a hundred years", in that they wish that they could all live happily for a hundred years. In Greece, wishing someone Happy Birthday ends with the expression να τα εκατοστήσεις, which can be loosely translated as "may you make it one hundred birthdays". In Sri Lanka, it is a custom to bless as "you may live 220 instead of 120".
In many countries, people receive a gift or congratulations from federal/state institutions on their 100th birthday.

United States

As of 2019, there were an estimated 72,000 centenarians living in the U.S.; the 2020 census officially counted 80,139, and the 2010 census had 53,364. However, the U.S. Census Bureau claimed in 1999 that as many as a third of people stating their age as over 100 might be exaggerating.
In the United States, centenarians may request a letter of congratulation from the president of the United States to mark their longevity.
Strom Thurmond became the first Senator to reach 100 on December 5, 2002.
Jimmy Carter became the first president to reach the age of 100 on 1 October 2024.
Today also presents a segment honoring centenarians and older, sponsored by Smuckers. The tradition was created in 1983 by weather presenter Willard Scott, and is now presented by his successor Al Roker.
In the state of New Mexico, centenarians have been exempt from state income tax since tax year 2002, if they are not dependents of another taxpayer.

Asia

Japanese centenarians receive a silver cup and a certificate from the prime minister of Japan upon the Respect for the Aged Day following their 100th birthday, honouring them for their longevity and prosperity in their lives.
In Madhya Pradesh, India, the award known as Shatayu Samman is given out to people who live at least 100 years to promote awareness of good health.
North Korean centenarians receive a birthday congratulatory letter from the Supreme Leader of the DPRK. On 6 July 2022, Pak Hak Sil, a centenarian living in Koup-ri of Kangnam County, Pyongyang, received a birthday letter sent by Kim Jong Un.
In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10868 better known as the Centenarians Act of 2016 mandates that all living Filipinos residing in the Philippines or overseas receive a birthday congratulatory letter from the President of the Philippines and a ₱100,000 "Centenarian Gift" from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In Taiwan, people aged 100 or above receive a golden pendant necklace on Chong Yang Festival each year from the president and Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Mahathir Mohamad became the first prime minister of Malaysia to reach the age of 100 on 10 July 2025.