Afrique

Au Mali, l'appareil militaire sera désormais directement contrôlé par le président de la Transition. Après les récentes attaques qui ont émaillé le pays et coûté la vie au ministre de la Défense le général Sadio Camara, Assimi Goïta, président de la transition va dorénavant assumer personnellement le poste de ministre de la Défense.

Au Mali, l'appareil militaire sera désormais directement contrôlé par le président de la Transition. Après les récentes attaques qui ont émaillé le pays et coûté la vie au ministre de la Défense le général Sadio Camara, Assimi Goïta, président de la transition va dorénavant assumer personnellement le poste de ministre de la Défense.

Le président du PPE menace d'organiser un vote en séance plénière si aucun accord n'est trouvé demain

The post Weber menace de soumettre l’accord commercial avec les États-Unis au vote en plénière appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Contrairement à ce qui est le cas pour les législateurs ordinaires, la mise en accusation d'un ministre nécessite la mise en place d'une commission d'enquête

The post Scandale agricole : le gouvernement grec protège une nouvelle fois d’anciens ministres appeared first on Euractiv FR.

L'événement a lieu chaque premier lundi de mai au Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York.

L'événement a lieu chaque premier lundi de mai au Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York.

À l’approche de l’Aïd el-Adha, et suite à l’acquisition par de nombreux citoyens de moutons importés environ vingt jours avant le sacrifice, les spécialistes et […]

L’article Mouton importés : cette pratique courante chez les Algériens peut les tuer, avertit une vétérinaire est apparu en premier sur .

Sudan's foreign minister says Ethiopia and UAE has chosen the "wrong path" and would regret it.

Le journaliste sportif français, Christophe Gleizes, condamné à sept ans de prison pour apologie de terrorisme, renonce à son pourvoi en cassation pour ouvrir la […]

L’article Christophe Gleizes renonce à son pourvoi en cassation et mise sur une grâce présidentielle est apparu en premier sur .

Comprenez en quoi consiste cette opération et comment elle pourrait conduire à une reprise des hostilités.

L’actualité énergétique mondiale, bousculée par les tensions au Moyen-Orient, redessine les équilibres et accélère certains rapprochements. À Alger, la visite de la commissaire européenne chargée […]

L’article Hydrocarbures : le signal clair d’Alger à l’UE lors de la visite de la commissaire européenne Šuica est apparu en premier sur .

The rising number of centenarians and older individuals raises important questions and issues, such as retirement ages, healthcare, pensions, living expenses, and elder care. Credit: Maricel Sequeira/IPS

By Joseph Chamie
PORTLAND, USA, May 5 2026 (IPS)

Throughout human history, reaching the age of 100 was considered an exceptional accomplishment. However, in recent decades, the number of centenarians in the world has been on the rise.

The increases in longevity for both men and women are welcomed developments. This remarkable accomplishment in human longevity, reaching 100 years or more, also poses challenges for the long-living individuals, their families, communities, and societies.

The rise in the number of centenarians can be attributed to a number of key economic, social, and scientific factors. These factors encompass public health initiatives, sanitation, environmental enhancements, medical advancements, improved access to healthcare, enhanced nutrition, medical treatments, vaccines, antibiotics, decline in infectious diseases, higher living standards, education, better management of chronic conditions, preventive care, social connections, and lifestyle choices.

In 1950, there were nearly 15,000 centenarians worldwide, representing a very small fraction of one percent of the global population of 2.5 billion. By 2026, the number of centenarians had increased by 45 times, reaching 672,000. This figure continued to represent a small, but larger fraction of one percent of the world’s current population, which had tripled to 8.3 billion.

The number of centenarians is expected to continue rising. It is projected that by 2050, the number of centenarians will almost quadruple, increasing from today’s 672,000 to 2.6 million. Furthermore, by the end of the century, the number of centenarians is expected to be approximately twenty-seven times greater than it is today, reaching 18 million by 2100 (Figure 1).

Source: United Nations.

Of the world’s 672,000 centenarians, nearly two-thirds reside in the more developed regions. The country with the largest number of centenarians is Japan with 126,000, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the world’s total. Following Japan, the next four countries and their number of centenarians are the United States (77,000), China (53,000), India (43,000), and France (35,000) (Table 1).

Source: United Nations.

In these various countries, the large majority of centenarians are women. For example, in Japan, women make up nearly 90% of centenarians. Similarly in the United States, nearly 80% of the centenarians in 2024 were women.

The oldest, documented centenarian to have ever lived is Jeanne Calment of France. She died at the age of 122 years and 164 days. Her age is verified through reliable birth, marriage, and death records in Arles, France, with her life spanning from 1875 to 1997. Calment’s father lived to the age of 94 and her mother lived to the age of 86.

The longest-lived man in recorded history was Jiroemon Kimura of Japan who died at the age of 116 years and 54 days. He was born in 1897 and died in 2013, making him the only man in history confirmed to have reached the age of 116. Kimura credited his longevity to living an active life and practicing the concept of hara hachi bunme in Japan, which involves eating until he was only 80% full.

Healthy aging and increased longevity in both men and women are influenced by a combination of genetic and non-genetic factors. In addition to genetics, major contributors to long life include access to healthcare, a healthy and nutritious diet, regular physical activity, not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy body weight, strong social connections, managing stress and chronic conditions, getting sufficient quality sleep, maintaining a sense of purpose, and engaging in vigorous exercise (Table 2).

Source: Author’s compilation.

Medical research is continuing to explore ways to extend healthy lifespan and increase human longevity. Some of this research is focused on anti-ageing interventions, which include targeting biological mechanisms of ageing, delaying the onset of chronic diseases, and prolonging the period of healthy life. These interventions aim to enable individuals to live long enough to become centenarians. Unlike in the past, centenarians are no longer exceptional societal outliers. This significant change in human longevity is impacting not only centenarians but also reshaping the ways individuals, families, communities, and societies approach aging, retirement, and healthcare

Some believe that advancements in medicine and biotechnology may further promote the increase in human longevity. However, others argue that humanity has reached an upper limit of longevity, with the maximum reported age at death plateauing at around 115 to 122 years.

Unlike in the past, centenarians are no longer exceptional societal outliers. This significant change in human longevity is impacting not only centenarians but also reshaping the ways individuals, families, communities, and societies approach aging, retirement, and healthcare.

Living to 100 years or more is a goal that many people aspire to achieve. The rising number of centenarians and older individuals raises important questions and issues, such as retirement ages, healthcare, pensions, living expenses, and elder care.

To reach the age of 100 or beyond, long-term planning, including advance care planning, is crucial for individuals, families, and governments. This planning essentially involves ensuring that there are enough resources available for pensions, healthcare, living expenses, and elder care needs.

Unfortunately, individuals, families, and governments tend to neglect long-term planning. As a result, the gaps between retirement funds and the expenses for individuals living longer lives are significant and increasing.

Most older individuals have limited savings, a financial shortfall that is becoming increasingly common among older women and men. This issue is exacerbated by the demographic ageing of populations, with decreasing numbers of people in the workforce able to contribute to pensions and healthcare for retirees.

These financial gaps are not only causing economic challenges for older individuals and families, but also leading to a reevaluation of government policies and programs related to retirement ages, pension benefits, and health care for seniors.

In conclusion, the increase in human longevity and the rise in the number of centenarians are positive trends. However, they also bring about significant challenges for older individuals, communities, and societies.

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division, and author of many publications on population issues.

Le premier député anticommuniste de Hongrie espère que Péter Magyar rétablira l'État de droit et la démocratie

The post INTERVIEW : Vaincre le communisme a été « bien plus facile » que de renverser Orbán, assure un vétéran de 1989 appeared first on Euractiv FR.

In the run-up to the scaled-down military parade in Moscow, the situation appears to be deteriorating for President Vladimir Putin. According to intelligence reports, he is said to be spending most of his time in bunkers for fear of assassination or coup attempts. And even pro-Kremlin pollsters are reporting a decline in support. Commentators point to mounting pressure and speculate on where this might lead.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon has announced his candidacy in the 2027 presidential election. The co-founder of the far-left party La France Insoumise is now entering the race for the fourth time, after bids in 2012, 2017 and 2022. The press analyses his chances and his potential for challenging the far-right Rassemblement National.