Japan centenarians top 100,000 for the first time

TOKYO

Elderly shoppers walking through the Tsurumibashi "shotengai", an old covered shopping street in the Nishinari ward of Osaka, Japan, on October 1, 2025. (AFP Photo)

The number of centenarians across Japan topped 100,000 for the first time, the Health Ministry said on Sept. 15.

With a median age of 49.9 years, Japan has the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco, according to the World Bank.

The latest government survey, published ahead of the annual “Respect for the Aged” public holiday next week, showed the number of those aged 100 or older stood at 107,677 as of Sept. 1.

This was the first time the number of centenarians exceeded the 100,000 mark since records began in 1963, with around 90 percent of them female, the ministry said.

The population of this age group has hit a record high for 56 consecutive years.

Japanese are among the longest-living people in the world, boasting an average life expectancy of 81.35 years for men and 87.33 years for women, ranking 7th and 1st in the world, respectively.

Experts cite a relatively healthy diet, low obesity and universal healthcare for Japan’s long life expectancy. The reasons why women live longer are not exactly known, but experts cite the low incidence of cardiovascular events before menopause and lower smoking rates among women as potential contributing factors.

Data in June showed that Japan’s fertility rate fell again last year to a new record low, underscoring the demographic crisis gnawing at the world’s fourth-largest economy.

The slow-burning emergency is already leading to labor shortages, a ballooning social security bill and a shrinking tax base.