Scotland’s estimate of centenarians passes 1,000 for first time

The estimated number of people aged 100 or older has passed the 1,000 mark in Scotland for the first time, according to new figures from National Records of Scotland.

The latest figures show that as at June 2021 there were 1,040 people who had reached their centenary, an increase of 16% in the year to mid-2021.

Esther Roughsedge, Head of Population and Migration Statistics, said:

“The number of people in the oldest age groups has been steadily increasing. This latest increase reflects the baby boom that happened in the years after World War One. The majority of people aged 100 or older are female. Four times more females than males reached this milestone - 820 females compared to 220 males - reflecting the longer life expectancy of females.”

Background Notes:

There is no register of centenarians, so the figures are estimates based on population information rolled forward from the 2011 Census. Therefore we do not know who the oldest person in Scotland is.

The estimates relate to the population as at 30 June (mid-year estimates). 

NRS uses ‘age at death’ data to build up a profile of the number of people aged 90 and over in Scotland. For example, if someone died in 2019 aged 105, it would mean that they were alive and aged 104 in 2018 and 103 in 2017 etc. By collating ‘age at death’ data, the estimates for earlier years become more accurate as more death records are available to inform these age profiles. Further information on the methodology used to estimate the number of people aged 90 and over, including centenarians, is available on the NRS website.

The full report, “Population Estimates for Centenarians in Scotland: Mid-2021” is available in the Centenarians section of the National Records of Scotland (NRS) website.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Donna Green
NRS Communications
Tel: 07775 027 380 
Email: [email protected]

Further information about the statistics is available from:
NRS Customer Services
Email: [email protected]