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More than 8,600 people aged 100 or older were living in South Korea last year, according to new census data. Among centenarians living at home, nearly six in 10 said eating in moderation was a key to longevity, while many also maintained relatively active social lives, meeting family members and friends more than 12 times a month on average.The Ministry of Data and Statistics said Thursday that its 2025 population and housing census found 8,604 people aged 100 or older, up 2.7-fold from 3,159 in 2015. They accounted for 17.3 people per 100,000 of the population. Women made up 83.4% of the total, or 7,176 people.Gyeonggi Province had the largest number of centenarians, with 2,052, followed by Seoul with 1,268 and North Gyeongsang Province with 559. Relative to population size, South Jeolla Province had the highest concentration, with 31.8 centenarians per 100,000 people, followed by Jeju at 30.4 and Gangwon at 28.6.Responses from 4,280 centenarians living at home, rather than in care facilities, found that many placed importance on moderation and maintaining social connections.A total of 59.7% cited a restrained diet, including eating smaller portions, as a key to longevity. Regular daily routines were cited by 44.5%, while 32.1% pointed to genetic factors. Most had also avoided smoking and drinking throughout their lives: 86.9% said they had never smoked, while 79.6% said they had never consumed alcohol.The centenarians also remained relatively socially active. They met with children who lived separately, friends, acquaintances or caregivers an average of 12.7 times a month, with 50.8% saying they had such meetings at least 10 times a month.About eight in 10 respondents (78.4%) said they typically engaged in some daytime activity. Watching television or listening to the radio was the most common activity, cited by 64.6%. But many also left their homes for activities such as walking around their neighborhood (8.8%), visiting daycare centers for older adults (7.8%), or going to senior centers or community halls (7.3%).When asked about their quality of life, 43.7% described themselves as neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, while 33.1% said they were satisfied. Together, those figures exceeded the 23.3% who said they were dissatisfied.More than three-quarters (75.1%) lived with family members. Those living alone accounted for 20.7%, while 3.1% had paid caregivers.Financial support came primarily from children or other relatives, cited by 80.2% of respondents. Government or local authorities were cited by 67.2%, while 9.8% said they relied on themselves or their spouses. Multiple answers were allowed.Despite their longevity, however, centenarians reported poorer health than they did a decade ago, suggesting that more people are experiencing longer lives accompanied by chronic illness.The proportion who described their health as “poor” rose to 31.2%, from 21.8% in the 2015 survey. Meanwhile, the share who considered themselves to be in “good” health fell from 32.3% to 22.6%.Nearly nine in 10 respondents said they had at least one chronic disease. High blood pressure was the most common condition, reported by 56.7%, followed by arthritis at 39.9%, dementia at 29.1% and diabetes at 15.7%.Despite these health challenges, 70.7% said they had no intention of moving into a care facility in the future. Among the reasons given, 28.6% said they were already being cared for by family members, 23.3% wanted to remain in their familiar homes and surroundings, and 23.0% cited negative perceptions or reluctance toward residential care facilities.By Shin Min-jung, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
