Japan is now home to more than 100,000 people aged 100 or older, marking a new longevity milestone for a country confronting an accelerating demographic crisis. The number of centenarians reached a record 107,677 this year, according to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – an increase of 7,914 from 2025 and the 56th consecutive annual rise. Women account for almost 88 percent of the total.
Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno said he was “very pleased that many people are living long, healthy and active lives”, citing advances in medical technology as well as healthy lifestyles and diets. But behind the celebration lies a profound imbalance. Japan’s elderly population continues to grow while the number of births remains at an all-time low, leaving a shrinking workforce to plug mounting pension, healthcare and social care costs.
Japan has one of the world’s oldest populations, with almost three in every 10 residents now aged 65 or older. That proportion is projected to approach 40 percent by 2070. Furthermore, more than 800,000 people were aged 95 or above in Japan last year while only 700,000 babies were born, according to government figures.
The country’s population is, therefore, also declining increasingly quickly. Preliminary census figures show that the population was lower in 45 of Japan’s 47 prefectures in 2025 than five years earlier, with only Tokyo and Okinawa recording increases. Japan’s population peaked at about 128 million in 2008, with the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projecting that it will fall to 87 million by 2070 – a decline of roughly 30 percent.
There is no single explanation for this longevity but researchers have pointed to a combination of diet, activity and healthcare. The traditional Japanese diet tends to contain large amounts of fish, vegetables and rice, and comparatively low levels of saturated fat. Obesity rates are also significantly lower than in many Western countries.
Daily routines may play a role as well, with many people out walking, cycling and using public transport, including older people, while group exercise is widely practised. Japan’s universal health insurance system also provides broad access to treatment and medicines at relatively low cost compared with other countries such as the United States. While living longer is an achievement, in Japan, it is also occurring alongside one of the world’s lowest birth rates.
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