Number of centenarians stable for five years; 2,551 Dutch are 100 years old or older

At the start of 2026, the Netherlands counted 2,551 residents who were 100 years old or older. The number of centerains has remained fairly stable over the past five years, but the chance of reaching 100 has grown significantly over the past century, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Friday. Women are much more likely to reach age 100, and there are also clear regional differences.

The chance of reaching age 100 increased significantly over the past century. Of the people born in the Netherlands between 1812 and 1850, an average of 13 out of every 100,000 reached age 100. That increased to over 300 per 100,000 for the birth years at the end of the 19th century. Of the people born between 1920 and 1923, over 700 per 100,000 reached the age of 100.

In January 2026, 1,104 Dutch people were 100 years old, 666 were 101, 372 were 102, and over 400 people were 103 years old or older. 82 percent of people aged 100 or older are women.

Women have a higher life expectancy than men. “The difference in life expectancy widened particularly between 1950 and 1970. This is related to smoking, which at the time was mainly something men did,” CBS said.

The number of people who reach 100 varies by region where they were born, CBS found. “These differences may be related to differences in living conditions and residential environment during childhood, as well as hereditary factors,” the statistics office said.

For example, fewer than 180 per 100,000 people born in Zuid-Limburg between 1812 and 1923 turned 100 years old. In Zeeland, several regions in Noordoost Nederland, and in and around Rotterdam, The Hague, and Haarlem, it is over 270 per 100,000 people born in that time period.

There are also regional differences when looking at the number of centenarians in the region where they currently live or where they died. “There are relatively many centenarians in Utrecht, the Gooi and the Vechtstreek, and on the Veluwe. Areas where not only relatively many centenarians live or have died, but were also born, are mainly found along the Noord-Holland coast and in and around The Hague,” CBS said.

Later in life, other regional differences in living conditions and residential environments likely play a role in the chance of reaching a very old age, CBS said. These circumstances also change as a person gets older. “Possible explanations for differences in later life include social connectedness, a healthier lifestyle and diet, regular physical exercise, and mental health.”

It also has to do with income differences. “Over the years, healthier and more prosperous people have likely moved more often to, for example, economically stronger regions, which may have benefited their social position and health.”