Overview
- The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported Tuesday that the number of people aged 100 or older reached 107,677, an increase of 7,914 from the prior year and the 56th straight annual rise.
- Women account for about 88% of centenarians, with 94,298 women and 13,379 men recorded, and the oldest living people named by the ministry are Fuyo Kishimoto, 114, and Hikaru Kato, 112.
- Centenarian rates vary sharply by prefecture, with Shimane highest at about 186.65 per 100,000 people, Saitama lowest at 51.27 per 100,000, and Tokyo holding the largest absolute number at 8,890.
- Officials and analysts say the milestone intensifies pressure on public finances and services, with government estimates pointing to a growing need for care workers and higher budget requests for pensions and medical care.
- The rise continues a decades-long trend that began with 153 centenarians in 1963 and has reached new peaks even as Japan faces record-low birth rates and a shrinking population that will reduce the working-age base and raise per-person eldercare demand.