More than 2,500 centenarians, most of them women

© ANP / Robin Utrecht
  • There were 2.5 thousand people aged 100 or older in the Netherlands on 1 January 2026.
  • The likelihood of reaching the age of 100 has risen sharply since 1812, particularly among women.
  • The chance of reaching the age of 100 is relatively high, particularly among people born in the southwest and north of the Netherlands.

At the start of 2026, there were 2,551 people aged 100 or older living in the Netherlands, 82 percent of whom were women. The number of centenarians has remained fairly stable over the past five years. Over the past century, however, the likelihood of reaching the age of 100 has increased significantly. There are also regional differences. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) on the basis of new research on the number of people aged 100 and older since 1812.

At the start of this year, there were 1,104 people who were 100 years old, 666 were aged 101, and 372 were 102 years old. More than 400 people were 103 years or older.

Probability of reaching the age of 100 has risen substantially

Researchers examined the probability of reaching the age of 100 for each birth cohort. Among people born in the Netherlands between 1812 and 1850, an average of 13 in every 100 thousand

reached the age of 100 or older. The number rose to over 300 for birth cohorts at the end of the nineteenth century. Among people born between 1920 and 1923, over 700 in every 100 thousand  reached the age of 100.

Increase particularly among women

Women have a much greater chance than men of reaching the age of 100. That chance has also risen substantially: from 16 in every 100 thousand women born between 1812 and 1850, to 1.2 thousand among women born after 1919. Among men, the chance of reaching age 100 rose from 10 in every
100 thousand to 270. This means that the gap in life expectancy between men and women has increased significantly.

Women have a higher life expectancy than men

The gap between the sexes when it comes to life expectancy widened particularly between 1950 and 1970. This was largely due to smoking, which was primarily a male habit at the time.

Those born in Zeeland or the north of the Netherlands have the highest chance of reaching 100

The number of people who reach the age of 100 varies by region of birth. This ranges from fewer than 180 per 100 thousand people born between 1812 and 1923 in Zuid-Limburg, to more than 270 in Zeeland, several regions in the northeastern Netherlands, and in and around Rotterdam, The Hague, and Haarlem. These differences may be related to variations in living conditions and the residential environment during childhood, as well as to genetic factors.

Factors such as living environment, social connections, a healthy lifestyle, and the migration of affluent and healthy people to more prosperous regions probably contribute to the likelihood of living to a very old age.