Japan’s centenarians top 100,000 for the first time
The latest government survey showed the number of those aged 100 or older stood at 107,677, with around 90% of them female.
Japan has become the first country to see more than 100,000 centenarians, according to the health ministry. The population of the country, where the median age is 49.9 years, according to the World Bank, has the second-oldest demographic in the world after Monaco. The latest government survey, which was released ahead of the annual Respect for the Aged public holiday, revealed that there were 107,677 individuals aged 100 or older as of September 1, marking the first time the number of centenarians surpassed 100,000 since records began in 1963.
Around 90% of these centenarians were female, the ministry reported. The population of this age group has reached a record high for the 56th consecutive year. Data from June indicated that Japan's fertility rate fell again in the previous year to a new record low, highlighting the demographic crisis facing the fourth-largest economy.
This slow-burning emergency is already causing labor shortages, a ballooning social security bill, and a shrinking tax base.
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- Number of centenarians in Japan tops 100,000 for 1st time, up for 56th yr mainichi.jp
- Japan’s centenarians top 100,000 for the first time freemalaysiatoday.com
