The latest government data from Japan reveals that the number of centenarians in the country has reached a record high, with over 95,000 individuals aged 100 or older, with nearly 90% of them being women. This surge in the elderly population underscores the ongoing demographic challenges faced by Japan as its population ages and declines.
As of September 1, Japan had 95,119 centenarians, an increase of 2,980 from the previous year, with 83,958 being women and 11,161 men. Additionally, a separate report indicated that the number of individuals over 65 has also reached a record high of 36.25 million, representing 29.3% of the total population.
Japan leads a list of 200 countries and regions with a population exceeding 100,000 in terms of the proportion of elderly citizens. Currently, Japan is home to the world’s oldest living person, a 116-year-old woman named Tomiko Itooka, while the previous record-holder passed away recently at the age of 117.
Itooka resides in a nursing home in Ashiya, Hyogo prefecture, where she expresses gratitude to the staff and reminisces about her hometown. Another elderly citizen, Kiyotaka Mizuno, who is 110 years old, shared that his daily routine involves early mornings, three meals a day, and a love for listening to live sports like sumo wrestling.
Japan continues to grapple with the challenges posed by its aging population, including rising healthcare and welfare costs coupled with a shrinking labor force to support them. Despite efforts to address these issues, Japan’s population has decreased to 124 million, with the government struggling to reverse this trend.