TAIWAN: Double Ninth Day On October 7 This Year Will Honour Seniors

. TAIPEI, Taiwan (ChinaPost), September 17, 2008: The China Post news staff Longevity, according to the Bible, is 70-80 years. Centenarians, people who are 100 years old or more, are the seniors of all seniors. They are the fastest growing part of humankind. In Taiwan, there were 1,962 centenarians in 2007, compared to just 291 in 1992, the year the government started to include their numbers in annual population reports. Back then, Taiwan had 212 men and 79 women aged 100 or more. Last year, the figures rose to 1,005 men and 957 women. Worldwide, centenarians number about 450,000. There are no exact figures, since many centenarians live in developing or outlying areas, where census data is not often available. The United States has the most centenarians with current estimates as high as 72,000. If the U.S. population of centenarians continues to increase at its current rate, there could be close to 1 million people of 100 years of age or more by 2050. Japan is second, with a record 36,276 by the end of September, and the number of women exceeding 30,000 for the first time, according to government figures released Friday. The total has almost quadrupled in the last 10 years, giving the centenarian population in Japan the most dramatic rise over anywhere else. This year, the overall number of centenarians in Japan will increase 3,981 from last year, as the ranks of men beyond the century mark swell by 450 to 5,063, breaking the 5,000 record for the first time. The number of female centenarians will be up 3,531 to 31,213. Women continue to make up the vast majority of centenarians, accounting for 86 percent. Of Japan's 47 prefectures, Okinawa has the largest proportion, with 61.03 per 100,000 people, maintaining the top position for the 36th straight year. At its current rate of expansion, Japan's population of centenarians will rival that of the United States in sheer numbers soon. By 2050, Japan proportionally will have the most centenarians in the world. In proportion to its large population, China does not have a high percentage of centenarians, officially about 7,000 in the last census. However, with the rate of expansion of the population, and the number of centenarians increasing proportionally, it is estimated that in total numbers, China will actually lead the world population of centenarians by 2050, with over 450,000. In the United States, centenarians traditionally receive a letter from the president upon reaching their 100th birthday. NBC's Today Show has also named them on air since 1983. Japanese centenarians receive a silver cup and a certificate from the prime minister upon reaching their 100th birthday. September 15 is Japan's "Day of National Respect for the Aged." In Taiwan, the Double Ninth (the ninth day of the ninth moon) Festival, which falls on October 7 this year, is designated to honor senior citizens. Since 1966, Senior Citizens' Week is observed from the ninth to the 15th day of the lunar calendar. Legend says Matsu, goddess of the sea, climbed a mountain overlooking the sea that day in search of her father, missing while fishing. The day is observed in remembrance of Matsu's filial piety. Copyright © 2008 The China Post.