Number of South Koreans aged 100 and over triples

The number of South Koreans aged 100 and over has risen almost threefold over the past decade, driven by medical advances and improved living conditions, according to statistics ministry data released on Thursday (20/8).

According to a survey by South Korea’s Ministry of Data and Statistics on the population aged 100 and over, there were 8,604 people aged 100 or older as of 1 November 2025.

The figure jumped 172.4 percent, or an increase of 5,445 people, compared with 3,159 people recorded in the previous survey in 2015.

The figures are based on face-to-face household interviews, meaning the data may differ from official ages recorded in the government’s population registration system.

Although the average annual growth rate of centenarians declined slightly from 11.5 percent in 2015 to 10.5 percent in 2025, the number of people aged 100 and over per 100,000 population jumped from 6.4 to 17.3, indicating a surge in the density of the very elderly population.

By gender, women made up the largest majority at 83.4 percent, or 7,176 people, compared with 1,428 male centenarians.