Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest the number of centenarians in the world will hit 6 million by 2050. Membership in the 100-year-olds' club has jumped from an estimated few thousand in 1950 to over 340,000 around the world today.
The Census estimates also show that:
- within the next eight years, there will be more people over 65 than under 5
- the median age for the world will increase from 24 to 37 by 2050
Japan will have the largest number of centenarians by mid-century with an estimated 627,000 - or nearly 1% of their total population. In the United States, the number of 100-year-olds will increase from 75,000 to more than 600,000 by 2050. Italy, Greece and Singapore are also expected to see dramatic increases - particularly women.
Dr. Robert Butler, President and CEO of New York's International Longevity Centre predicted a surge for demand for nursing homes, assisted living centres and other special housing given the wave of aging boomers who will be at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. "The implications are more than considerable," he says. "Healthy centenarians are not a problem, and many are. But if you have a demented, frail 100 year old, they can be very expensive."
