As South Korea has entered a super-aged society with the population aged 65 and over accounting for more than 20% of the total, the number of people aged 100 and older has surpassed 8,600. This represents an increase of more than 5,000 compared to 10 years ago.
According to the 'Survey Results on Population Aged 100 and Older' released by the National Data Administration on the 20th, as of November 1 last year, the population aged 100 and older stood at 8,604. This is an increase of 5,445 (172.4%) from 3,159 recorded in March 2015 when the previous survey was conducted. The number of centenarians per 100,000 population reached 17.3, up by 10.9 from 6.4 ten years ago. By gender, there were 1,428 men (16.6%) and 7,176 women (83.4%), with women outnumbering men significantly.
As of 2025, the annual average growth rate of the population aged 100 and older is 10.5%.
By region, the highest number of centenarians resided in Gyeonggi (2,052), followed by Seoul (1,268), Gyeongbuk (559), Jeonnam (541), and Incheon (528). The highest number of centenarians per 100,000 population was found in Jeonnam (31.8).
The secret to longevity among those aged 100 and older lies in 'modest eating habits (small meals) and other restrained dietary practices' (59.7%). Responses also frequently cited 'regular lifestyle' (44.5%) and 'genetic factors such as a family of long-lived individuals' (32.1%). It was found that 86.9% of the elderly had never smoked in their lifetime. Additionally, 79.6% had never consumed alcohol throughout their lives.
The prevalence of chronic diseases was 90%. In terms of specific conditions, 'hypertension' was the most common at 56.7%, followed by 'arthritis' (39.9%), 'dementia' (29.1%), and 'diabetes' (15.7%).
The proportion of centenarians living with their families was surveyed at 75.1%, while those living alone accounted for 20.7%. Among the population aged 100 and older, 92.8% were widowed. While 30.2% of male elderly had a surviving spouse, only 0.7% of female elderly had a surviving spouse.
Regarding those who care for the elderly (multiple responses allowed), 'children and spouses' accounted for the largest share at 73.5%, followed by 'paid caregivers such as nursing assistants and attendants' at 35.6%. The proportion with 'no caregiver' was 3.1%. When asked whether they would be willing to move into a nursing facility if their health deteriorated or if they required care, 70.7% responded that they had no intention of doing so.
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