Centenarians in Europe

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Demography
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• The population aged 80 and over is rapidly expanding globally.
• Centenarian numbers have shown exponential growth worldwide, highlighting an aging demographic.
• Understanding the characteristics of this supercentenarian group is vital for public health planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the total number and population ratios of centenarians in 32 European countries.
• To analyze key characteristics of centenarians, including gender distribution, education levels, and residence type.
• To provide data for informing health promotion policies and care system development for the oldest old.

Main Methods:

• A population-based study utilizing national census data from 2011.
• Data collected for individuals aged 100 and over across 32 European nations.
• Analysis included gender, residence, and education data for the centenarian population.

Main Results:

• A total of 89,156 centenarians were identified, representing 17.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• Centenarian ratios were highest in France, Italy, and Greece, and lowest in Eastern European countries.
• Significant variations observed in gender (16.5% male average), living arrangements (62.7% in private households), and education levels across countries.

Conclusions:

• Centenarian numbers have substantially increased since previous data collection.
• Findings underscore the need for tailored health promotion and care strategies for the growing centenarian population.
• Data supports the development of innovative care systems to meet the needs of the supercentenarian demographic.