It is known that women generally live longer than men.
And the extent to which this is true is reflected in the latest census data, which shows that women who live to age 100 outnumber men by 23 to 1.
The total number of centenarians has risen from 11,186 to 13,924 in ten years, according to the 2021 figures.
Women made up 11,288 of the total, while only 2,636 men had reached the milestone age. The total increase from a century before was an astonishing 27 times, compared to just 110 in 1921.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics, published yesterday, also seems to indicate that living on the coast may be the secret to longevity.
Women made up 11,288 of the total, while only 2,636 men had reached the milestone age (stock image)
Nine out of ten local authorities with the most centenarians are on the coast, while the top three are all on England’s south coast.
There were 64 people who had reached the age of 100 or over per 100,000 people in East Devon, 59 per 100,000 in Arun in West Sussex, and 57 per 100,000 in the New Forest, the ONS said.
Birmingham had the highest number of centenarians overall: 193 – but only 17 per 100,000 residents.
According to the ONS, there are eight local authorities with fewer than ten centenarians per 100,000 residents.
Of these, according to the ONS, six were London boroughs: Newham (five per 100,000); Tower Hamlets (six); Hackney (eight); Islington (nine); Lambeth (nine); and Lewisham (9.6).
The data showed that two in five centenarians (41.6 percent) lived alone in private homes. One in ten (10.9 percent) lived with someone else, usually their children or other relatives.
Meanwhile, two in five (39.1 percent) lived in ‘communal settings’, such as care homes. The majority of people over the age of 100 were widowed, but 18.4 percent of men were married, compared to just 3.7 percent of women.
A total of 905 centenarians are married, although many couples no longer live together and one spouse has often moved to a care home.
Many centenarians claim that staying active is the secret to their longevity. Britain has the seventh highest number of centenarians in the world (stock image)
But there are 14 couples where both spouses are over 100 and still live together. One in four centenarians said they were in good health, the ONS said, and ‘surprisingly three in 10 said they had no disability’.
Nine in ten were born in Britain, with 1.3 percent in Ireland, 2.4 in another European country and 2.5 in the Middle East and Asia. More than one in four women over 100 (28 percent) had never worked, while among those who had, the largest number (25.9 percent) were secretaries.
Among male centenarians, 21.9 percent were experienced professionals and 15.8 percent were professionals.
Britain has the seventh highest number of centenarians in the world, with Japan topping the list, followed by Guadeloupe and Uruguay.
Many centenarians claim that staying active is the secret to their longevity – including former World War II Mosquito pilot Colin Bell, who last week became the oldest person to take part in an abseil at the age of 102.
Flight Lieutenant Bell, last week abseiled 85 meters from the helipad of the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, to raise money for charity.
Mr Bell, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross during the war, said: ‘I may be 102 years old but I still want to do my bit to raise much-needed funding for three great charities.’