According to United Nations data analyzed by the Daily Mail, there are nearly 600,000 centenarians worldwide, with Japan home to the largest share - about 120,000.

However, when measured per 100,000 people, Monaco leads by a wide margin. The analysis shows that in this “billionaires’ paradise,” nearly 950 out of every 100,000 residents are aged 100 or older.

Japan and Uruguay follow with 98 and 85 centenarians per 100,000 people, respectively. The UK ranks 32nd with nearly 26 centenarians per 100,000, while the US sits in 46th place with about 20 per 100,000.

Statistics also reveal that Vietnam currently has 7,139 centenarians, equivalent to 7 per 100,000 people. While this figure is modest compared to many countries, it reflects an upward trend in life expectancy in Vietnam in recent years.

The research also found that 27 countries recorded no centenarians in 2024, most of them in Africa and Oceania, where living conditions and healthcare remain limited.

The findings come as Associate Professor Karin Modig, an epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute (Sweden), noted that those reaching 100 often possess an “extraordinary” ability to avoid severe illness. Studies show that centenarians not only live longer but also maintain better health than those who die younger.

Experts attribute the growing number of centenarians to positive factors such as healthier lifestyles, lower smoking rates, improved working conditions, and especially advances in healthcare, including cardiovascular treatment and preventive care.

Currently, Ethel Caterham, aged 115, is believed to be the world’s oldest living person. Born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, she grew up in Tidworth and has lived in a Surrey nursing home for over 50 years.

The record for the oldest person in history belongs to Jeanne Louise Calment of France, who lived to 122 years and 164 days.

Many notable figures have reached or surpassed the 100-year milestone, including American actor Kirk Douglas - father of Michael Douglas - who died in 2020 at 103, and actress Gloria Stuart, best remembered as the elderly Rose in Titanic, who died in 2010 at exactly 100.

An Yen