National Data Office reports sharp rise in South Korea's centenarians

The National Data Office said that South Korea had 8,604 people aged 100 or older as of Nov. 1, 2025, up 172.4 percent from 3,159 in 2015.

The Office conducted household visits from Feb. 26 through March 9, 2026, to households with people aged 98 or older. The count covers South Korean nationals who had lived in the country for at least three months and excludes foreigners staying in South Korea. It compared the 2025 data with 2015 results because it did not publish survey results in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national rate was 17.3 centenarians for every 100,000 people, compared with 6.4 in 2015. Women accounted for 7,176 of the total, or 83.4 percent. Gyeonggi Province had the largest count, at 2,052, while South Jeolla Province had the highest per-capita rate, at 31.8 per 100,000 residents.

Among centenarians living at home, 73.5 percent were cared for by children and their spouses, 35.6 percent used paid carers, and 75.1 percent lived with family members. Another 20.7 percent lived alone.

Chronic illness was reported by 90.0 percent of those living at home, with hypertension the most common condition at 56.7 percent. Arthritis and dementia were also among the leading reported conditions.

Despite possible worsening health or care needs, 70.7 percent said they would not want to move into a nursing facility. The home's structure or equipment was the most commonly reported difficulty, cited by 47.9 percent.

In a multiple-response question, home-dwelling centenarians most often attributed their longevity to restrained eating, cited by 59.7 percent, followed by regular routines at 44.5 percent and hereditary factors at 32.1 percent.