Number of centenarians across Mansfield and Ashfield increases as population ages

According to the newly published Office for National Statistics 2021 cenus results, 21,302 people in Mansfield, or 19.3 per cent of the 110,486 population are aged 65 and over, compared with 17,946, or 17.2 per cent of the 104,466 population in 2011.

The numbers of people aged over 90 and 100 has also risen.

In 2021, there were 913 people aged 90 and over, 0.8 per cent of the population, and 21 centenarians, 0.02 per cent, compared with 703 aged 90-plus and 15 centenarians – 0.7 per cent and 0.01 per cent of the population respectively, 11 years ago.

In Ashfield, 24,884 people were aged 65 or over, 19.7 per cent of the 126.305 population last year, compared with 20,238, or 16.9 per cent of the 119.497 population 11 years ago.

In 2021, there were 1,004 people aged 90 and over, 0.8 per cent of the population, and 25 centenarians, 0.02 per cent, compared with 798 aged 90-plus and 14 centenarians – 0.7 per cent and 0.01 per cent of the 2011 population respectively.

It is a trend repeated across England and Wales.

More than 11 million people – 18.6 per cent of the population – were aged 65 or older when the 2021 census was taken, compared with 16.4 per cent in the previous census a decade before. This included 527,900 people aged 90 or more.

The median age in England and Wales rose from 39 in 2011 to 40 in 2021, reflecting the changing age structure of the population.

Angele Storey, head of ONS’s ageing analysis team, said: “While living longer is something to be celebrated and our ageing population presents opportunities, it also has implications for the economy, services and society. Knowing the size and structure of the population is fundamental for decision makers and policy makers in the UK.

“The 2021 Census results will give further insight into the implications of an ageing population and the lives of older people when the more detailed multivariate data are published in 2023.”