- 1st of September There were 95 119 centenarians in Japan
- World's oldest person, Japanese, is 117 years old
- It may seem happy, but an aging population is a national problem
1st of September There were 95 119 centenarians in Japan
The number of centenarians in Japan has reached a new record. According to statistics, on first of September, there were 95 119 people aged 100 or over.
This is 2 980 more than a year earlier. The majority of centenarians - almost 90% - are women. Their number was 83 958, while there were only 11 161 men, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
World's oldest person, Japanese, is 117 years old
Japan is also home to the world's oldest person: after the death of 117-year-old Spaniard Maria Branyas Morera in August, the title of the planet's oldest living person now belongs to 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka of Japan, according to US gerontologists.
According to the ministry, the elderly woman lives in a nursing home in Ashiya, western Japan. She is said to thank the nursing staff and reminisce about her hometown frequently.
It may seem happy, but an aging population is a national problem
Japan's aging and declining population have been a problem for many years.
On Sunday, the government announced that the number of people aged over 65 has reached a new record. There are now 36.25 million. This is equivalent to 29.3% of all Japanese.
Based on ELTA reports
