Centenarians is pronounced
Cen-ten-air-e-ans
Centenarian Statistics
- Japan (120,000), the United States (64,000), and China (39,000) report the highest numbers of centenarians worldwide, reflecting large populations combined with high life expectancy.
- Countries with the fewest centenarians include Bangladesh (1,000), Indonesia (1,000), and Tanzania (1,000), where lower life expectancy limits the number of people reaching age 100.
- Limited access to long-term healthcare, higher rates of infectious and chronic disease, and historically lower survival rates into old age all reduce the likelihood of reaching extreme longevity. As a result, while centenarians exist in nearly every country, their numbers remain extremely small in many parts of the world compared with aging, high-income nations.
World Population Review (2026) lists Oklahoma with 597 centenarians and a rate of 15 per 100,000 residents.
80% of all centenarians are women, 33% live alone, 25% are Veterans The percentage of centenarian men who lived with a family member or members is 44%. The most common setting for centenarian women is living in a nursing home (35%).
A person who lives to make it to age 110 is called a Super Centenarian and only one out of every 1000 centenarians reaches 110.
SUPERCENTENARIANS
UNITED STATES:
The oldest known supercentenarian living in America is Naomi Whitehead, who lives in Pennsylvania and was born on 26 September, 1910. She has outlived her three sons and has 12 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, 49 great-great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-great-grandchildren.
WORLDWIDE:
Ethel Catherham of Surrey, England, is the world’s oldest living person as of 30 April, 2025. She was born on the 21 August 1909, the second youngest of eight children. Ethel inherited her husband’s Triumph Dolomite after his passing and continued driving it until she was 97. She remained active well into her old age, playing bridge regularly as a centenarian. At the age of 110, Ethel moved to a care home shortly after her daughter’s death. Becoming a supercentenarian and moving to a care home didn’t slow Ethel down. Later in 2020, she contracted and successfully recovered from Covid-19, making her one of the oldest known survivors of the disease.
Oklahoma’s Centenarian Statistics
Our oldest known living woman in Oklahoma is SUPERCENTENARIAN Lessie Benningfield Randle of Tulsa was born on November 10, 1914.
Our oldest known living man in Oklahoma is SUPERCENTENARIAN Charles McGregor of Edmond was born on May 3, 1919.
In modern times, our oldest supercentenarian died in 2015 at the age of 114. Ora Holland lived in Tulsa most of her life, moving to OKC for the last four years.
We currently have about 300 living inducted Centenarians in the state. We would like to double that number! Please let us know of anyone approaching or over the age of 100.
Centenarians of Oklahoma Statistics
There are believed to be 400-500 centenarians living in Oklahoma. On average, there are about 300 living centenarians in Oklahoma that we have honored. Additionally, there are about 50 other centenarians that we are attempting to locate, recognize, and honor.
To date, almost 3,300, centenarians have been honored in the state. The historical records of these people are in Tulsa, currently in the offices of Centenarians of Oklahoma. Once a Centenarian passes, their records are filed at the Oklahoma Historical Society in Oklahoma City. Boston University has recognized our program as the only one in the United States, and this is all possible due to the efforts of volunteers and donations.
It is our intent to grow the program by honoring more than 100 centenarians in 2026, and greater numbers in years after that. Toward that goal, we will add additional people to our volunteer group, as needed.
Our continued success is made possible with the support of our donors…
The work performed through the Centenarians of Oklahoma could not happen without generous supporters like you.
We operate by volunteers while providing this special honor to our “Golden Okies”.
Thank you for your continued support.