Supercentenarians

According to the Gerontology Research Group, only seven people have ever lived past age 115 (only two of those seven lived in the 21st century). Eight of the last nine individuals to hold the title of “world’s oldest living person” were 114 at the time they acquired the title, and all but two were still 114 when they passed on. The two “world’s oldest” title holders who lived past 114 died at age 115. This morbid trend has left many to question why we are failing to get any older.

Though life the expectancy in most countries has increased gradually over the last decades, the global count for people 110 and older (supercentenarians) has leveled off at around 80. In other words, the more individuals who turn 110, the more individuals die at 110. Some scientist believe this age barrier may one day increase, though many scientist agree that individuals who make it past the 110 mark likely owe their supercentenarian status to their genes as opposed to scientific discoveries.

See William Oremus, The World’s Deadliest Distinction: Why aren’t the oldest living people getting any older?, Slate Magazine, Jul. 19, 2011.