The number of people aged 100 and over in the UK has reached a record high, according to ONS data, prompting renewed discussion about how longer retirements and later-life care needs will be funded.
The number of centenarians in the UK reached a record 16,400 in 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, almost doubling from 8,700 in 2005 and rising by 20% over the past decade.
The data also showed there were an estimated 645,000 people aged 90 and over in 2025, up 55% since 2005 and 3% compared with 2024.
While women continue to make up the majority of centenarians, the number of male centenarians has been growing at a faster rate. Between 2015 and 2025, the male centenarian population increased by 47%, compared with 15% among women.
Commenting on the figures, Cara Spinks, head of life and 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.”
Rising longevity continues to bring into focus questions around retirement income sustainability, later-life care funding and the risk of clients outliving their assets.
Spinks said: “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.”
She also pointed to the growing importance of funding care needs later in life.
“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.”
The latest ONS figures show the UK’s older population continuing to grow, with increasing numbers of people reaching their 90s and beyond, while the centenarian population is at its highest level on record.
Main image: elderly, hands, alexas_fotos-6W1voPFLfrc-unsplash
