Nonagenarians in the UK reach more than 600,000 for the first time
The number of nonagenarians in the UK has reached record levels of more than 600,000 for the first time, government data has shown.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released figures for estimates of ‘the very old’, for people aged 90 to 104, and 105 and over.
The data, which covers the period between 2002 and 2019, found that there were more than 600,000 people aged 90 years and over, known as nonagenarians, in 2019.
This had increased by 3.6 per cent compared with 2018, from 584,024 to 605,181.
Researchers said that the increased birth rates in the wake of the First World War were responsible for the record figures.
The researchers looked at the birth patterns around at the First World War and found the increase in births did not occur until after mid-1919, around nine months after the war ended.
There were 45.4 per cent more babies were born across the UK between mid-1919 and mid-1920 than in the year before and those who survived are now aged 99 years in our latest figures.
Rose Giddings, Centre for Ageing and Demography at the ONS, said: "The UK population aged 90 years and over grew to its largest size in 2019."
"Historical improvements to male life expectancy continued to narrow the gap between men and women in this age group to its lowest level on record, with around two women to every man."
"Despite a low number of births 100 years earlier, we saw an uptick in the number of people aged 100 years and over in 2019, due to medical advances and improvements in public health during their lifetime.
“As those who survive reach 100 years of age, the number of centenarians is expected to increase sharply. However, other factors, such as the coronavirus pandemic (see comparative UK figures below) could influence this," she said.
The ONS also found that in 2019, there were 13,330 centenarians (people aged 100 years and over), and that the number had increased by 11 per cent compared with 2018.
In addition, the number of semi-supercentenarians in the UK (people aged 105 years and over) has more than doubled in the last decade. In 2019, there were 720 people aged 105 and over, and this rose from 270 in 2009.
Around six per cent of the centenarian population in any given UK country are aged 104 years, and six per cent are aged 105 years and over.
