Japan’s centenarians top 100,000 for the first time

The number of centenarians across Japan topped 100,000 for the first time, the health ministry said Tuesday.

With a median age of 49.9 years, Japan has the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco, according to the World Bank.

The latest government survey, published ahead of the annual “Respect for the Aged” public holiday next week, showed the number of those aged 100 or older stood at 107,677 as of Sept 1.

This was the first time the number of centenarians exceeded the 100,000 mark since records began in 1963, with around 90% of them female, the ministry said.

The population of this age group has hit a record high for 56 consecutive years.

Data in June showed that Japan’s fertility rate fell again last year to a new record low, underscoring the demographic crisis gnawing at the world’s fourth-largest economy.

The slow-burning emergency is already leading to labour shortages, a ballooning social security bill and a shrinking tax base.