Which EU Country Has the Most Centenarians?

Key Takeaways

• France is home to the most centenarians in the EU. Having the second-largest population in the EU is one reason France’s total is so high.
• Women account for 81.7% of people aged 100 and over in the EU. Their longer life expectancy helps explain this gap, as women live 3.4 years longer than men after age 65.
• France and Spain share the highest life expectancy at 65 in the EU. Living longer gives more people there a chance to reach their 90s and eventually age 100.

EU Countries With the Most Centenarians

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France Has the Most Centenarians in the EU

France ranks first in the EU by number of centenarians. It is home to 34,979 people aged 100 and over.

France’s large population is one reason it has so many centenarians. However, population size is not the only reason for France’s lead.

France is home to 15.3% of all EU residents. Yet it has 26.5% of all centenarians in the EU.

France’s larger share of centenarians reflects its centenarian rate. That rate is the highest in the EU.

The centenarian rate shows how common it is to reach 100 in each country. For every 100,000 people in the EU, 29.3 were 100 or older on average. France recorded 50.8 centenarians for every 100,000 people.

France’s high centenarian rate goes hand in hand with long lives after 65. Life expectancy at 65 means how many more years a 65-year-old can expect to live.

The longer people live after 65, the more of them go on to turn 100.

In 2024, a 65-year-old in France could expect to live another 21.9 years. That is the joint-highest life expectancy at 65 in the EU.

France’s long lives after 65 are linked to low deaths from heart disease. In 2022, France had the lowest death rate in the EU from ischaemic heart disease. Ischaemic heart disease is a heart disease caused by narrowed arteries.

EU Countries With Longer Life Expectancy at 65 Tend to Have More Centenarians

EU countries where people live longer after 65 tend to have more centenarians. Italy and Spain also rank in the EU’s top four for centenarian rates.

In 2024, a 65-year-old in Italy or Spain could expect more years of life than the EU average of 20.2 years:

• Italy: 38.4 centenarians per 100,000 people, 21.4 more years at 65
• Spain: 34.7 centenarians per 100,000 people, 21.9 more years at 65

By contrast, people in Croatia and Bulgaria live fewer years after 65 than the EU average. Both countries also have the two lowest centenarian rates in the EU:

• Croatia: 5.6 centenarians per 100,000 people, 18 more years at 65
• Bulgaria: 6.8 centenarians per 100,000 people, 16.9 more years at 65

Fewer deaths from heart disease are linked to longer lives after 65. Italy and Spain had ischaemic heart disease death rates well below the EU average in 2022. However, Croatia and Bulgaria had ischaemic heart disease claimed lives at a rate well above the EU average.

Women Make Up 81.7% of Centenarians in the EU

Women made up 81.7% of all centenarians in the EU on 1 January 2025. This is because women live longer than men after 65.

A woman who turned 65 in 2024 could expect to live another 21.8 years. In comparison, a man of the same age could expect to live another 18.4 years.

The 3.4-year gap between women and men adds up over time. More women than men survive into their 90s. As a result, more women go on to reach 100.

Men’s shorter lives are linked to lifestyle and health risks. Men in the EU are more likely to smoke, drink heavily, and die of heart disease.

Across the EU, life expectancy at 65 shapes both where centenarians live and who they are. Population size only raises a country’s total.