TOKYO, Japan – Japan’s population of people aged 100 and older has surpassed 100,000 for the first time, reaching 107,677 as the country continues to confront one of the world’s most pronounced demographic shifts.
The figure was reported by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on Sept. 15 and represents an increase of 7,914 from the previous year. It is the 56th consecutive annual increase in the number of centenarians recorded by the ministry.
Women account for the overwhelming majority of the group. The ministry recorded 94,298 women aged 100 or older, compared with 13,379 men, meaning women make up about 87.6% of Japan’s centenarian population.
A demographic milestone decades in the making
Japan’s centenarian population has grown dramatically since national statistics began in 1963.
There were only 153 people aged 100 or older that year. The number passed 1,000 in 1981, reached 10,000 in 1998 and exceeded 50,000 in 2012. The latest figures mark the first time the total has crossed 100,000.
The ministry’s figures are based on reports from prefectures and designated municipalities using the basic resident register. The count of 107,677 refers to people aged 100 or older as of Sept. 15, with the underlying resident-register data compiled as of Sept. 1.
The milestone was announced around Japan’s annual observance recognizing older people, when the government also presents congratulatory letters and commemorative gifts to people reaching 100.
This year, 54,294 people were identified as having reached or expected to reach age 100 during the relevant fiscal year and to be alive on the observance date.
Longer lives reflect decades of change
Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Kenichiro Ueno said the rise reflects factors including improvements in living conditions, diet and nutrition, as well as advances in medical technology.
Ueno also pointed to the significance of people remaining healthy and active into advanced age, while stressing the importance of maintaining a sustainable social security system as Japan grows older.
The increase in longevity has unfolded alongside a very different demographic trend among younger generations.
Japan has experienced prolonged population decline and persistently low birth rates, leaving the country with a growing proportion of older residents and a comparatively smaller working-age population.
That combination makes the growth in the number of centenarians more than a measure of longevity. It is also part of a broader shift affecting healthcare, pensions, elderly care and the size of Japan’s future workforce.
Longevity meets population decline
The latest figures illustrate a demographic contrast at the heart of Japan’s population challenge: more people are reaching very advanced ages while fewer children are being born.
Japan’s government has increasingly focused on both extending healthy life expectancy and addressing the conditions contributing to declining births.
Ueno said the government would continue working toward a sustainable social security system and ensuring that necessary services remain available to those who need them.
The ministry’s centenarian figures do not by themselves measure whether older people are living independently or without health problems. They show the size and continued growth of the population reaching at least 100 years of age.
For Japan, however, the number represents a striking marker of how dramatically the country’s age structure has changed since the first national count more than six decades ago.
Reporting Credit: Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — 2026 centenarian population figures, demographic history, centenarian recognition program and ministerial comments on longevity and social security.
