The number of people aged 100 years or more is expected to increase to record levels by 2050, according to new data estimates from the Census Bureau.
More and more people are living to see their 100th birthday and beyond, due in part to better diets as well as more aggressive medical procedures.
In the 1950s, the number of centenarians was estimated to be a few thousand worldwide. That figure is now estimated to be at more than 340,000, and rising.
The US and Japan have the highest amount of centenarians within their populations, and the numbers are expected to increase at 20 times the current rate by midcentury.
According to Census Bureau estimates, Japan is expected to have the largest population of people over the age of 100 ““ 627,000 by 2050. The median age in Japan is expected to rise from 37 in 1990 to 55 by 2050.
The nation is already anticipating the boom in population by developing robotic devices aimed at helping the aging community with daily tasks.
The centenarian population in the US is projected to rise from 75,000 to over 600,000 by 2050, which could amount to drastic increases in Medicare and Social Security costs.
Meanwhile, the median age in the US is expected to increase from 33 in 1990 to 39 in 2050 ““ that figure is lower than that of Japan due to the rate of immigration.
“The implications are more than considerable, and it depends on whether you’re healthy or sick,” Dr. Robert N. Butler, president and chief executive of the International Longevity Center, told the AP.
“Healthy centenarians are not a problem, and many are. But if you have a demented, frail centenarian, they can be very expensive.”
“We don’t have a major coordinating figure such as a White House counselor to reach across all departments, and we need one,” Butler said.
The Associated Press reported that Italy, Greece, Monaco and Singapore are among other countries projected to have a large number of centenarians, most of which will be women.
The Census Bureau also estimates that there will be more people aged 65 years and older than children under the age of 5.
The current life span is 78, but a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that an average of Americans would prefer to live to the age of 89, while one in five said they would like to live beyond age 90. Only 8 percent said they hope to live to see their 100th birthday and beyond.
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