Japan's Centenarian Population Tops 100,000 as Society Continues to Age

More than 100,000 people in Japan are now aged 100 or older, according to figures reported by the BBC. The report said 88% of the centenarians are women, underscoring a long-standing gender gap in life expectancy in the country.

The milestone comes as Japan's population continues to age and shrink, a demographic trend that has been documented for years by government statisticians and researchers. The BBC report did not provide additional breakdowns of the data, such as regional distribution or year-on-year comparisons.

Japan has consistently ranked among the countries with the highest life expectancy in the world, a factor that health experts have linked to diet, healthcare access and social support systems for the elderly. At the same time, the country faces a shrinking workforce and rising costs associated with elderly care, as birth rates remain low and the overall population declines.

The BBC's report did not specify which government body released the centenarian figures or when exactly the data was compiled, though such counts are typically released annually in Japan around a national holiday honouring the elderly.

The wider demographic shift has prompted ongoing policy discussions in Japan about pension systems, healthcare funding and labour shortages, though the BBC report did not detail any specific government response to the latest figures.