Centenarians and near-centenarians in India: empirical insights on health and well-being characteristics

We examined the socioeconomic and health characteristics of centenarians (100 years or above) and near-centenarians (90–99 years) in India. Utilizing data from the Wave-1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI), we compared the distribution of centenarians and near-centenarians with those aged 60–89 years across socioeconomic, health, and subjective well-being indicators. Our findings revealed that most of the sample centenarians and near-centenarians were female, educated, and widowed. They displayed low prevalence rates of chronic ailments (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension). More than half of the sample centenarians were also able to perform basic activities of daily living like walking, eating, bathing, and dressing. About three-fourths of the oldest population also perceived their life to be fairly good. Our findings suggest that centenarians (near-centenarians) in India elicit a healthier profile and can be a vital source of information for advancing longevity research. The absence of reliable headcount on centenarians indicates a huge scope for building a national-level data repository for directing and navigating policy actions.