The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed 100,000 for the first time, reaching 107,677, according to government data released Tuesday as the country marked Respect for the Aged Day. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said the number had risen by 7,914 from the previous year, marking the 56th consecutive annual increase.
Women make up the majority of Japan’s centenarians
Women accounted for 94,298 of the centenarians, compared with 13,379 men. A total of 54,294 people are expected to turn 100 this year. Fuyo Kishimoto, 114, was recorded as Japan’s oldest woman, while Hikaru Kato, 112, was the country’s oldest man.
The rise in the number of centenarians comes as data released last June showed Japan’s fertility rate had fallen to a record low in the previous year. The country’s demographic crisis is linked to labour shortages, rising social security costs and a shrinking tax base.
