Japan has 86,510 people aged 100 and over, a new record in a country where the number of centenarians has tripled since 2000.
The numbers released at the time Seniors Respect Day, which is flagged next Monday, represents a An increase of 6,060 people over the previous yearAccording to information provided by the Japanese Ministry of Health and quoted by Efe.
Women still make up the vast majority of centenarians, accounting for 88% of the total (76,450 people), an increase of 5,475 over the previous year.
Men aged 100 and over crossed for the first time ten thousand, with a total of 10,060, an increase of 585 individuals compared to 2020.
The number of centenarians in Japan has grown significantly over the past five decades, an increase that experts attribute to Development of medical technologies and treatments.
In 1963, when the first study was conducted, the Japanese over 100 were only 153 years old.
In 1998, that number reached 10,000, and it reached 30,000 in 2007, until it exceeded 50,000 five years later, according to data from the Japanese Ministry of Health.
Japanese Ken Tanaka, 118 years oldShe is the nation’s oldest living person, and was recognized as the world’s oldest living person by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) of the North American Society.
In contrast, the oldest man in Japan is Mikizu Ueda, 111 years old.
An aging population is one of Japan’s biggest challenges, with a constantly declining birth rate, raising concerns about the country’s economic prospects and workforce.
In 2020, life expectancy in the archipelago reached a record high for both sexes: 87.74 years for women and 81.64 years for men, according to data released in July by the Japanese Ministry of Health.
through town hall, Shiman (West) has the highest number of centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants (134.75), followed by Kochi (126.29) and Kagoshima (118.74).
The national average is 68.54 per 100,000 inhabitants.