Britain’s Daily Mail recently reported that Monaco has the highest proportion of people aged over 100 in the world, citing United Nations statistics.

The European city-state, known as a playground for billionaires, boasts 949 centenarians for every 100,000 residents, according to the newspaper, more than seven times the proportion of any other country.

Monaco is the world’s second-smallest sovereign state after the Vatican, with about one-third of its 38,000 residents being millionaires. It also benefits from advanced medical services and mild Mediterranean temperatures, contributing to its residents’ longer life expectancy.

Following Monaco, the top five regions with the highest centenarian populations per capita are Hong Kong (124 per 100,000), the French Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe (100), Japan (98) and Uruguay (85).

The Daily Mail noted that the world had about 600,000 people aged over 100, with the highest number living in Japan (120,000). The increase in people reaching their 100th birthday is attributed to lifestyle changes such as reduced smoking rates, improved working conditions and advancements in health care.


don@heraldcorp.com