More than 100,000 people in Japan are 100 or older

Japan now has more than 100,000 people who are 100 years old or older. This is the first time the number has passed 100,000. The Ministry^*1 of Health, Labour and Welfare, the part of the Japanese government that looks after health and old people, announced^*2 the news on September 15, 2026.

On September 1, 2026, there were 107,677 people aged 100 or older in Japan. That is 7,914 more than last year, and it is the highest number ever. Most of them are women. There are 94,298 women and 13,379 men.

The number has grown a lot over the years. In 1963, Japan made a law to help old people. In that year, only 153 people in the whole country were 100 or older. The number passed 1,000 in 1981, 10,000 in 1998, and 50,000 in 2012.

The ministry also said that 54,294 people will turn 100 between April 2026 and March 2027. That is 1,984 more than the year before. Each of them will get a letter and a gift from the prime minister^*3 of Japan to celebrate their 100th birthday.

1. *1 ministry: a part of a government that does one kind of work
2. *2 announced: told everyone officially
3. *3 prime minister: the leader of the government of a country