Life - Articles - Number of centenarians and over 90s hits record high in 2025

The number of male centenarians has increased faster than the number of female centenarians. The male centenarian population increased by 47% between 2015 and 2025 (from 2,100 to almost 3,100), whereas the female centenarian population grew by 15% over the same period (from nearly 11,600 to just over 13,300).

 

There were an estimated record 645,000 people aged 90 years and over in the UK in 2025; this is an increase of 55% since 2005, and an increase of 3% since mid-2024. Men made up over one-third (34%) of people aged 90 years and over in 2025, and nearly one-fifth (19%) of centenarians.

 

Cara Spinks, Head of Life & Health at Broadstone, said: “The record number of people living to 100 and beyond highlights just how quickly the UK's population is ageing. While this is undoubtedly something to celebrate, it also presents significant challenges for the state, insurers and pension providers.

 

“People are living longer in retirement, which means retirement savings need to last for longer and greater thought needs to be given to how individuals can maintain financial security later in life. At the same time, insurers and pension providers must continue to adapt their products, pricing and risk management to reflect improving longevity.

 

“For the government, the focus will increasingly be on how to support an ageing population in a sustainable way, whether through retirement provision, healthcare funding or later life care. For the insurance and pensions industry, it is about developing solutions that help people navigate longer retirements with confidence.

“As more people live into very old age, the challenge is not simply how long retirement income needs to last, but how later-life health and care needs will be funded. The actuarial profession is increasingly looking at social care - from modelling future care needs and costs to considering how insurance, pensions and other forms of private provision could complement state support. With a growing population in their 90s and beyond, finding sustainable ways to share and manage that risk will become increasingly important.”