Fifth of Britons ‘to reach 100 years’

NEARLY a fifth of people living in Britain today are expected to celebrate their 100th birthday, the Government has predicted.

More than 10 million of Britain’s current residents, the equivalent of 17% of the population, are expected to live until they are at least 100, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Three million of these are currently aged under 16, while 5.5 million are between 16 and 50 and 1.3 million are between 51 and 65. A further 875,000 of the projected centenarians are aged over 65 and already retired.

It is estimated that by 2066 there will be at least 507,000 people in Britain aged 100 or over, including 7,700 super centenarians who are aged 110 or over.

The figure is well up on the 11,800 people in Britain who are currently at least 100, while there are less than 100 people who are aged more than 110.

The number of people aged over 100 is expected to nearly double to 97,300 between 2030 and 2035. The increase in longevity is likely to put considerable pressure on the country’s pensions systems.

Pensions Minister Steve Webb said: “These staggering figures really bring home how important it is to plan ahead for our later lives.”