Number of centenarians in Japan surpasses 92,000 for the first time

The number of centenarians in Japan surpassed 92,000 for the first time, hitting a record high for the 53rd consecutive year, a government report showed on Friday.

The number of people over 100 rose by 1,613 from a year earlier to 92,139, as the Ministry of Health in Tokyo said. According to the latest survey, around 88% of all centenarians are women.

Life expectancy for women in Japan is around 87 years, for men around 81 years. Japan has seen a rapid increase in the number of centenarians since the government first counted 153 over-100s in 1963.