According to the Social Insurance and Pension Agency of Tajikistan, as of July 2025, there are 415 centenarians registered in the country. Experts attribute the increase in life expectancy to economic development, a decrease in child mortality, and successful efforts in combating cardiovascular diseases.

Currently, the average life expectancy in Tajikistan stands at 76.6 years. The oldest centenarians in the country are 120-year-old Marziyomoh Ibodova from Darvoz district in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) and 117-year-old Gulrakat Nazarova from Danghara district in Khatlon province.

Meanwhile, the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan says that at the beginning of 2025, there were 306 people over the age of 100 in Tajikistan, including 169 men and 137 women.

Centenarians in Central Asia: a comparison with neighbors

How does Tajikistan compare to its neighbors? The country ranks third in Central Asia for the number of centenarians.

In Kazakhstan, there are 448 people over the age of 100, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The oldest of them is a 115-year-old woman from the Ulytau region, as reported by Tengrinews.kz. The highest concentration of centenarians is in Almaty, with 58 people, followed by Turkestan region with 53, and Almaty region with 37.

In Uzbekistan, as of January 1, 2024, there were 514 centenarians, of whom 110 were men and 404 were women. The majority live in the Kashkadarya region, where there are 92 centenarians. Special attention was drawn to the case of Khvaydo Umarova (Toshmatova), who, in September 2024, was recognized as the oldest person in Uzbekistan. The woman, whose age was confirmed as part of the “No One Will Be Left Without Documents” campaign, was born on January 1, 1895, and turned 130 years old. She may be included in the Guinness World Records as the oldest person in the world.

In Kyrgyzstan, according to Deputy Minister of Health Bubuzhan Arykbaeva, around 300 people over the age of 100 live in the country.

Centenarians around the world

According to the latest UN data, there are approximately 630,000 centenarians worldwide. Japan leads the world with 123,330 centenarians — one in every five centenarians lives in Japan. The average life expectancy for women in Japan is 88 years, and for men, it is 82 years. Following Japan are the United States with 73,629, China with 48,566, and India with 37,988.

Secrets of longevity: what experts say

Doctors argue that the key to longevity is simple: regular moderate physical activity, such as walking, which helps reduce the risk of many diseases, along with adequate sleep and regular medical checkups. Additionally, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is crucial.

Genetics also plays a role: if there are centenarians in the family, descendants are more likely to live long lives as well. However, specialists emphasize that maintaining good health throughout life is essential for achieving longevity.