The number of centenarians in the UK in 2025 reached 16,400, almost twice the 8,700 recorded in 2005 and up 20.2% since 2015, according to new figures published by the ONS.
There were 645,000 people aged 90 and over in the UK in 2025, up 55.2% since 2005.
The number of male centenarians has increased faster than the number of female centenarians, according to the figures.
The male centenarian population increased by 47% between 2015 and 2025 (from 2,100 to almost 3,100), while the female centenarian population grew by 15% over the same period (from nearly 11,600 to just over 13,300).
Cara Spinks, head of life & health at Broadstone, said the record number of people living to 100 and beyond highlights presents significant challenges for the state, insurers and pension providers. “Insurers and pension providers must continue to adapt their products, pricing and risk management to reflect improving longevity.”
Clare Moffat, pensions and tax expert at Royal London, said: "Living to 100 is becoming a more realistic prospect for many people, and that's changing the way we think about retirement. While longer lives are something to celebrate, they also mean retirement planning needs to adapt.
“A retirement lasting 30 or 40 years is no longer unusual, and people taking an income from their pension should think carefully about whether their plans would still work if they lived to over 100.”
Marianna Hunt, personal finance specialist at Fidelity International, said: “Living longer is something to celebrate, but it also brings some significant financial challenges. The most obvious is that our retirement savings may need to stretch further than ever before.
“Someone retiring at 65 could potentially need their pension to last another 30 or even 40 years. That's a long time to eek your money out, particularly when you factor in the effects of inflation.
Ms Spinks added: “As more people live into very old age, the challenge is not simply how long retirement income needs to last, but how later-life health and care needs will be funded.”
She said the actuarial profession is increasingly looking at social care - from modelling future care needs and costs to considering how insurance, pensions and other forms of private provision could complement state support. “With a growing population in their 90s and beyond, finding sustainable ways to share and manage that risk will become increasingly important.”