Centenarians on the rise

There were 820 centenarians (people aged 100 and over) in Scotland in 2019, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland.

The figures show there are four times more women aged 100 and over than men, with 670 females reaching this milestone in 2019, compared to 150 males.

The number of 100 plus year olds has increased by 5% from last year and represents the first increase after four years of decline. 

Denise Patrick, Head of Population and Migration Statistics, said:

“There are many more women than men who live for over 100 years, reflecting the longer life expectancy of females.

“However, over the past decade, the number of men aged 100 and over has grown at a faster rate than females. Male centenarians have increased by 50% from 100 to 150 in the last ten years. In comparison, there are only 3% more female centenarians now than a decade ago, but there are still many more women aged 100+ (670 in 2019 compared to 650 in 2009).

“Today’s figures also show after four years of decline, we have seen a slight increase in the total number of people living for more than 100 years. This rise corresponds with an increase in the number of births following the end of World War One.”

There are an estimated 43,660 people aged 90 and over, which reflects our ageing population. The number of people in this age group has increased every year since 2009.

The publication Centenarians in Scotland, 2009-2019 and an infographic summary is available on this website.