According to data published by the government on Tuesday, over 100,000 people aged 100 and over reside in Japan. These statistics were presented as part of the Elderly Respect Day, which was observed this year on September 15th. The statistics also showed that nearly 88% of these centenarians are women.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that there are currently 107,677 centenarians in the country, which is 7,914 more than the previous year. Thus, the country has exceeded the one hundred thousand mark for the first time, with the vast majority being women.
Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno expressed satisfaction that many people live long, healthy, and active lives. He noted that advancements in medical technology, healthy lifestyles, and balanced nutrition have contributed to these results.
However, the official emphasized the need to maintain a sustainable social security system amid ongoing aging and population decline. Furthermore, young people show less optimism about their future. According to a survey cited by the Associated Press from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, over 20% of single men and women aged 18 to 34 do not plan to marry, and almost half consider marriage disadvantageous.
The government acknowledged that high costs of raising children, as well as the physical and psychological strain on working parents, partially explain this sentiment. Nevertheless, it assured that the government will continue to respond to these concerns and work to solve problems related to population aging and declining birth rates.
On Elderly Respect Day, centenarians are honored by a letter from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and a silver sake cup from the government.
Experts believe that Japan's population decline is inevitable because the country's total fertility rate dropped to a historic low of 1.14 in 2025, significantly below the required 2.1 children per woman to maintain the current population level. In the 2020 census, Japan's population was 126 million, with nearly 30% aged 65 or older. Specialists predict this number will fall to 87 million by 2070, when nearly 40% of the population will be over 65.
Historically, 153 people aged 100 and over were registered in Japan in 1963. This figure surpassed one thousand in 1981 and ten thousand in 1998, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.