SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of South Korean centenarians nearly tripled over the past decade, supported by medical advancements and improved living conditions, statistical ministry data showed Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics survey on centenarians, there were 8,604 people aged 100 or older as of Nov. 1, 2025.

It was up 172.4 percent, or an addition of 5,445 people, compared to 3,159 recorded in the previous 2015 survey.

The figures were based on in-person household interviews, meaning that they could differ from official ages listed on the government's resident registration systems.

While the annual average growth rate of centenarians slightly fell from 11.5 percent in 2015 to 10.5 percent in 2025, the number of centenarians per 100,000 people surged from 6.4 to 17.3, indicating a soaring density of the super-aged population.

By gender, women made up the vast majority of 83.4 percent at 7,176, compared to 1,428 male centenarians.