The population of centenarians in Japan has climbed to a record 99,763, the health ministry announced ahead of Respect for the Aged Day on Monday.

The tally released Friday, based on the resident registry system as of Sept. 1, rose 4,644 from a year earlier, marking a new high for the 55th consecutive year. Women accounted for 87,784 centenarians, or about 88% of the total figure.

The number of those age 100 or older has grown steadily since the government began keeping such records in 1963, when only 153 people were registered as being centenarians. The count exceeded 1,000 in 1981, 10,000 in 1998, 50,000 in 2012 and 90,000 in 2022.

Japan¡¯s oldest living person is Shigeko Kagawa, 114, from Yamatokoriyama in Nara Prefecture. She worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist and physician past the age of 80, according to the ministry. The oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111, from Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture.

There are now 80.58 centenarians for every 100,000 people nationwide. By prefecture, Shimane Prefecture had the highest rate with 168.69 per 100,000, leading the nation for the 13th straight year, followed by Kochi with 157.16 and Tottori at 144.63. Saitama Prefecture had the lowest ratio at 48.50, followed by Aichi at 53 and Osaka at 55.44.

Monday¡¯s celebration of longevity comes as the country is increasingly forced to confront the issue of its aging and declining population. The total fertility rate ¡ª the average number of children a woman is likely to have over the course of her life ¡ª fell to 1.15 in 2024, down from 1.2 the previous year and the lowest since comparable records began in 1947, with Tokyo¡¯s rate sitting below 1 for the second year in a row.

The total population of Japanese nationals living in Japan fell to 120.65 million as of Jan. 1. Births totaled 686,061 in 2024, falling below 700,000 for the first time. Deaths reached 1,605,298, resulting in a natural population decrease of 919,237.

2024 marked the 17th straight year of natural population decline and the steepest drop since records began. This decline and increased longevity has put a major strain on the country¡¯s social security systems and labor markets.