Italy’s centenarians grow in number as another 2,000 reach the milestone

Italians such as these men from Taormina, Sicily, say work, a good diet and an active social life are key to their longevity. Photograph: Andrew Fox/Alamy

The number of people in Italy living to 100 continues to grow sharply, with more than 2,000 reaching the milestone age in 2025, the vast majority of them women.

There are now 23,548 residents in Italy who are 100-years-old or over, compared with 21,211 in 2024, according to the latest figures from Istat, the national statistics agency. Italy has more than double the number of centenarians than it had in 2009, Istat said.