The number of centenarians in Italy is growing at an impressive rate, with more than 2,000 people reaching the age of 100 in 2025.

According to the latest figures from the Italian Statistical Office (Istat), Italy now counts 23,548 people who have turned 100 or more, compared to 21,211 in 2024. The old-age population has doubled compared with 2009, the same figures show.

Of the Italians reaching the 100-year mark this year, 82.6% are women. Women also lead in the number of “semi-superannuates,” meaning over 105 years old, and superannuates, meaning over 110 years old.

Lucia Lucia Laura Sanguinito, who hails from the southern region of Campania, is Italy’s oldest woman and the third oldest in Europe, and is expected to celebrate her 115th birthday on November 22.

They will be the oldest and the oldest woman in the world, and the oldest and the oldest woman in Europe.

Other notable examples include Ema Morano, from the northern region of Piedmont, who was the oldest person in the world until she died in 2017 at 117, and Vitantonio Lovallo, Italy’s oldest man, who celebrated his 111th birthday on Friday.

Italy, France, and Greece have the highest proportions of centenarians

Population growth of perennials is also seen in many EU countries. In fact, by 2050, those over 100 years old are expected to increase to nearly half a million, up from 96,600 in 2019.

Italy, along with France and Greece, has the highest ratios of centenarians per capita in Europe.

Regions with the highest concentration of centenarians

The region of Molise in southern Italy tops the list of centenarians per capita, followed by the Aosta Valley and Liguria. Sardinia, with its high concentration of centenarians, is considered one of the so-called “blue zones”, i.e. areas of the world with longevity.

The village of Perdasdefogu has twice entered the Guinness Book of Records for the concentration of centenarians in its population. In 2012, the Melis family won the record with nine siblings who had a combined age of 818 years, and in 2021 they led the village to record the world’s highest concentration of centenarians, with eight people over 100 years old in a population of 1,778.

The secrets of longevity

One of the main factors in longevity is considered to be the moderate diet, combined with the country’s strong social ties and good health care system.

In addition, Italian centenarians often maintain high levels of energy and activity. Anna Possi, who will celebrate her 101th birthday on November 16, continues to work at her bar in a town near Lake Maggiore and is the oldest bartender in Italy.

Candida Uderzo, who renewed her driving licence at 100 in 2022, is one of at least four drivers over 100 recently deemed fit to drive.

However, the aging population brings serious challenges for the government, especially with the rapid decline in birth rates. In 2024, just 370,000 births were recorded, the lowest since Italy’s unification in 1861.