In France, there are more and more seniors. But, above all, our country stands out for its significant proportion of centenarians.
France, the unsuspected Eldorado of centenarians? Our country had more than 32,000 in 2024, according to data from INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), or 30 times more than in 1970. The French are living longer and longer and, as highlighted by a survey by Figaro Healthif the United States has 504 supercentenarians and France “only” 399, taking into account the population between the two countries, it is therefore in France that the number of supercentenarians per inhabitant is the highest.
But where do supercentenarians, people aged 100 and over, live in our country? This is where it gets even more interesting. The majority of those who have reached a canonical age – like the late Jeanne Calment, who died at 122 and who had won the record for oldest of humanity – are found in Guadeloupe and Martinique, where there are eight times more than in mainland France. Moreover, Martinique is the only French “blue zone” in the world. This describes a specific area where there is a high concentration of people aged over 100.
The other blue zones across the planet are: Loma Linda (United States), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan) and Ikaria (Greece, where almost all residents live without a watch, considered a stress factor). Several factors explain this exceptional longevity, notably the improvement of the health system, a better quality of life and progress in prevention.
Some also believe that the secret lies in the traditional lifestyle which includes a local and minimally processed diet, regular physical activity even in old age, and limited stress. In other words, eating healthy, moving, and keeping your head calm could well be the recipe of the century. But Jacques Vallin, researcher at INED (National Institute of Demographic Studies), also put forward a hypothesis as to why there are significantly more supercentenarians in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
This researcher hypothesized genetic factors. “Certain genes favorable to survival would have been selected by the very high mortality of slaves in these territories. Further genetic study would provide definitive proof – but it is clear that all these supercentenarians are descendants of slaves“, relate our colleagues.
Furthermore, among all French centenarians, nine out of ten are women. This is usually because they take more care of themselves, monitor their health and go to the doctor more often. Men are generally a little more daredevil and less attentive to these details, which could explain why they live shorter lives.
