Why people in this Asian country are more likely to live to 100 than the rest of the world

People who scope their 100th birthdays this twelvemonth person seen rather a lot. Born successful 1925 betwixt 2 World Wars, they’ve witnessed nan advent of everything from penicillin to TikTok.

But very fewer group person crossed that mark. Worldwide, location are astir 630,000 centenarians – group aged 100 aliases older – and nan immense mostly unrecorded successful conscionable 10 countries, according to nan latest estimates from nan United Nations.

These 10 countries span Asia, Europe, and North America, and they tally nan gamut connected size, economical strength, politics, healthcare quality, and societal structures.

One successful 5 centenarians, aliases astir 123,000 people, unrecorded successful Japan, which besides has 1 of nan world’s highest life expectancies astatine 88 years for women and 82 years for men.

It is followed by nan United States, which has astir 74,000 centenarians, China (around 49,000), and India (38,000).

Considering nan number of centenarians comparative to organization size, however, nan US and China driblet down nan database and European countries specified arsenic France, Greece, and Italy emergence person to nan top.

Japan remains exceptional, pinch 100 centenarians per 100,000 people, down only Hong Kong, pinch a complaint of 133.

“Japan is astatine nan apical of each lists,” Solveig Cunningham, a professor who leads health, ageing and longevity investigation astatine nan Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, told Euronews Health.

That’s apt owed to a operation of nutrition, exercise, and a healthy “living environment,” Cunningham said. But nan existent trial would beryllium to way nan wellness of group who immigrated to Japan decades ago, and spot if they fare arsenic good arsenic autochthonal Japanese group arsenic they age.

What drives utmost longevity?

Extreme longevity has agelong puzzled scientists and captivated nan public, spawning countless books, TV shows, headlines, and self-help guides.

One celebrated mentation is nan mentation of “blue zones,” aliases geographic regions wherever group unrecorded remarkably agelong lives owed to a operation of patient diets, progressive lifestyles, beardown societal relationships, and genetics.

But researchers person besides raised questions astir whether these “blue zones” are real, aliases simply a matter of flawed data.

One study made waves past twelvemonth erstwhile it flagged 2 reasons why immoderate countries look to person truthful galore centenarians: administrative errors pinch commencement certificates, and fraud successful pension and use systems.

Cunningham said location apt are immoderate “data aberrations,” but they astir apt do not relationship for bigger image trends, peculiarly because countries pinch nan astir centenarians besides thin to person longer life expectancies overall.

“If we deliberation these are places wherever group mostly unrecorded longer, it's not astonishing that a larger proportionality will make it there,” she said.

Even countries pinch little life expectancies could beryllium location to a astonishing number of centenarians.

“In places wherever you person beautiful precocious mortality early successful life, nan group who past are outstandingly strong,” Cunningham said.

It doesn’t look that there’s a “magical concoction,” she added.

For now, location are still much questions than answers erstwhile it comes to utmost longevity, but demographers and wellness experts opportunity nan keys to ageing good are simple: regular exercise, healthy food, entree to aesculapian care, getting capable sleep, avoiding intoxicant and tobacco, and managing stress.

“I don't cognize really overmuch I personally would bargain into [claims connected nan benefits of] food lipid and cocoa and a solid of wine,” Cunningham said.