This Otago Daily Times opinion piece explores why New Zealand produces far fewer centenarians than comparable countries — just 9 per 100,000 people, significantly below Australia, Canada, Japan, and many European nations. Despite this low rate, New Zealand has an unusually high proportion of “super‑agers”: around 50% of its centenarians have no medical conditions, take no medications, and live independently. The article examines demographic patterns, healthcare system factors, and lifestyle influences, highlighting two variables most strongly associated with reaching 100 in New Zealand: not smoking and strong social connectedness (three or more weekly interactions outside family).
Key Insights
- New Zealand has one of the lowest centenarian rates among developed nations (9 per 100,000).
- Countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, Portugal, France, and Israel significantly outperform NZ.
- Yet NZ has the highest known global rate of super‑agers — half of centenarians are exceptionally healthy.
- Only two factors strongly predicted reaching 100:
- Not smoking
- High social connectedness (≥3 interactions/week outside family)
- Under‑treatment of hypertension and conservative prescribing may contribute to lower centenarian numbers.
- Economic and healthcare system factors also play a role.
