Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said on Tuesday the population
aged 100 and over reached 107,677 as of Sept. 15, a record high. The number has
climbed sharply from 153 at the start of official counts in 1963 and roughly
10,000 in 1998. The expanding elderly cohort is increasing fiscal pressure:
about one-third of Japan's residents—roughly 40 million people—receive public
pensions, while a shrinking workforce faces rising pension, healthcare and
long-term care costs. The government also needs to mobilize funding for defence
and growth strategy priorities.
