Korea has lowest centenarians' ratio among 18 OECD states

By Yun Suh-young

Korea has the least number of centenarians among member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to a recent study published Monday.

The research on the number of centenarians in OECD countries was conducted by Kim Jong-in, a professor at Wonkwang University in North Jeolla Province.

Kim’s research, “Association between Social Factors of Health Ageing and Longevity: Determinants of the Longevity Index (LI) in OECD Countries,” was published in the October edition of Ageing International, an international journal published quarterly on social and health policy issues. The study calculated the proportion of centenarians to the total population.

The study showed that Korea had 2 centenarians per 100,000 people, the lowest among the 18 OECD countries surveyed.

The country with the most number of centenarians was France with 36 per 100,000 followed by Japan with 20 and the United States with 18. Italy and England had 17, Canada 15, New Zealand 13 and the Netherlands 8.

The information was obtained from the population censuses conducted by each of the nations.

There were more centenarians in countries where people spent a lot on healthcare out of gross domestic product (GDP). However, other social factors such as high suicide rates and high rates of occupational injuries played a critical hindrance to people living longer here.

“The findings imply that an aged society plays an important role in ensuring the continued longevity of older people,” Kim said in the report.

“The governments of OECD countries must strengthen their preventive social programs and increase their support services for the elderly through financing of the health sector.”