Who Are the 10 Oldest People in the World?
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Curious to know who the oldest people in the world are? In this article, we’ve looked at exactly that! Each of these people has lived beyond the age of 110 - making them all supercentenarians.
The oldest people in the world come from several countries and continents, including USA, Japan and the UK.
We’re here to celebrate the lives of these incredible people, as well as look at the oldest men and women ever.
All of this information is true and correct as of February 2024.
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| Rank | Name | Age | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria Branyas Morera | 116 | Spanish |
| 2 | Edie Ceccarelli | 115 | American |
| 3 | Tomiko Itooka | 115 | Japanese |
| 4 | Inah Canabarro Lucas | 115 | Brazilian |
| 5 | Juan Vicente Pérez Mora | 114 | Venezuelan |
| 6 | Elizabeth Francis | 114 | American |
| 7 | Ethel Caterham | 114 | British |
| 8 | Okagi Hayashi | 114 | Japanese |
| 9 | Pearl Berg | 114 | American |
| 10 | Tane Matsubara | 114 | Japanese |
1. Maria Branyas Morera - Born in March 1907 (The Oldest Person in the World)
Credit: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
After Lucile Randon passed away on the 17th of January 2023 and as of September 2023, Maria Branyas Morera is the oldest person in the world as officially recognised by Guinness World Records. She is currently 116 years old.
Morera was born in San Francisco, California, where her Spanish family had emigrated a year beforehand. They later moved back to Spain, living in the region of Catalonia. While heading back to Spain via boat, Morera injured her eardrum in a fall, permanently losing hearing in one ear at the age of eight.
Morera married her husband Joan Moret in 1931, and the pair had three children together. As of 2019, Morera has 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Morera moved into a care home at the age of 93 and holds a string of age-related achievements, including being the last known living person in Europe born in 1907, as well as being the oldest living emigrant.
Age (as of February 2024): 116 years old
Date of Birth: 4 March 1907
Nationality: Spanish
Past Occupation(s): Nurse
Gender: Female
Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Branyas
2. Edie Ceccarelli - Born in February 1908
Edie Ceccarelli was born in California as the first of seven children to Italian immigrants Agostino and Maria Recagno.
Ceccarelli lived in her own home until the age of 107, at which point she moved into a senior living facility. While Ceccarelli has developed dementia, she is still able to walk with the aid of a walker as of her 114th birthday.
Though not the oldest living American-born person, Ceccarelli is currently the oldest known living person in the United States.
Age (as of February 2024): 115 years old
Date of Birth: 5 February 1908
Nationality: American
Gender: Female
3. Tomiko Itooka - Born in May 1908
Tomiko Itooka is the oldest validated person living in Japan. She was born in the city of Osaka as the second of three siblings. In school, Itooka enjoyed playing volleyball.
During World War II, Itooka ran a textile factory in South Korea on her husband’s behalf while raising her children.
After her husband passed away in 1979, Itooka spent around 10 years living alone in the Nara Prefecture. Across these 10 years, she frequently climbed Mt. Nijo, and she also climbed Mt. Ontake twice (with this mountain reaching 3,000 metres).
In her 80s, Itooka took part in the Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage twice. At 100 years old, she even climbed the long stone steps of the Ashiya Shrine without a cane.
Age (as of February 2024): 115 years old
Date of Birth: 23 May 1908
Nationality: Japanese
Past Occupation(s): Running a textile factory
Gender: Female
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4. Inah Canabarro Lucas - Born in June 1908
As a child, many people believed Inah Canabarro Lucas wouldn’t live beyond seven years old, due to being so skinny.
Despite this, Lucas is the oldest person currently living in Latin America. Having become a nun in the 1920s, she’s also the oldest living person in this profession.
In the 1930s, Lucas moved back from Uruguay to Brazil, where she would teach Portuguese and mathematics at a school in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.
Lucas credits her longevity to God, and only began using a walker aged 110 years old.
Age (as of February 2024): 115 years old
Date of Birth: 8 June 1908
Nationality: Brazilian
Past Occupation(s): Nun, teacher
Gender: Female
Wikipedia Page: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inah_Canabarro_Lucas
5. Juan Vicente Pérez Mora - Born in May 1909
Credit: OrchestralHuman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Juan Vicente Pérez Mora holds the coveted title of being the oldest validated living man in the world. He’s held this title since the 18th of January 2022.
Pérez was born in the Venezuelan town of El Cobre as the ninth child of his parents. While still young, he and his family moved to Los Paujiles, Venezuela, to work in agriculture. Here, Pérez mainly worked in harvesting sugar cane and coffee. At the same time, Pérez taught himself how to read and write using a book given to him by his teacher.
Aged 31, Pérez moved with his wife to Caricuena, Venezuela, where he would buy a farm and work alongside his brother. Pérez would even become the sheriff of this town in 1948!
Pérez enjoyed a large celebration with many of his family members and friends. He says hard work, prayer and drinking a glass of aguardiente every day are the main reasons for his longevity and good health.
Age (as of February 2024): 114 years old
Date of Birth: 27 May 1909
Nationality: Venezuelan
Past Occupation(s): Farmer
Gender: Male
Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Vicente_P%C3%A9rez
6. Elizabeth Francis - Born in July 1909
The oldest known person in the state of Texas, Elizabeth Francis turned 110 in July 2019, making her a supercentenarian.
Francis was born in Louisiana, before later moving to Houston, Texas. During the 1970s, Francis ran a coffee shop at the Houston TV station KTRK-TV.
Francis’ sister Bertha Johnson lived to the age of 106 (1904-2011), making them one of the oldest pairs of siblings on record.
As of February 2021, Francis has three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Age (as of February 2024): 114 years old
Date of Birth: 25 July 1909
Nationality: American
Past Occupation(s): Coffee shop owner
Gender: Female
7. Ethel Caterham - Born in August 1909
The oldest person living in the UK, Ethel Caterham has spent more than the last 50 years living in Surrey, England. She drove until 97 years old and remained a regular bridge player until well into her centenarian years.
At the age of 18, Caterham spent three weeks travelling by boat to India. Here, she worked for three years as a nanny to a British family.
In 1931, Caterham met her future husband Norman, a British Army major. When the pair were stationed in Hong Kong, Caterham started a nursery for local and British children alike. Here, she would teach English, games, arts and crafts.
Age (as of February 2024): 114 years old
Date of Birth: 21 August 1909
Nationality: British
Past Occupation(s): Ran a nursery and worked as a nanny
Gender: Female
8. Okagi Hayashi - Born in September 1909
When Okagi Hayashi became the oldest known living person in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture, she was visited by Junji Kato - the mayor of the city she lives in (Toki City). At this point, Hayashi had 8 children, 22 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
Currently, Hayashi is the fourth-oldest living person in Japan.
Age (as of February 2024): 114 years old
Date of Birth: 2 September 1909
Nationality: Japanese
Gender: Female
9. Pearl Berg - Born in October 1909
At 114 years old, Pearl Berg is the second-oldest known living person in the U.S. state of California, as well as the oldest known living Jewish person. Her parents - Archie and Anna - had Polish and Russian ancestry.
Though Berg claimed to have been born in Louisiana in 1910, research found she was actually born in 1909, in the state of Indiana.
Berg became a member of Temple Israel in 1937. To this day, she still occasionally attends services at the synagogue.
Some of Berg’s favourite pastimes over the years have included book clubs, concerts, plays and bridge.
Age (as of February 2024): 114 years old
Date of Birth: 1 October 1909
Nationality: American
Gender: Female
10. Tane Matsubara - Born in October 1909
Currently living in the Japanese city of Tomakomai, Tane Matsubara was born in October 1909, making her the oldest known living resident in the Hokkaido Prefecture.
Matsubara celebrated her 110th birthday in October 1909, at which point she became a supercentenarian.
Age (as of February 2024): 114 years old
Date of Birth: 15 October 1909
Nationality: Japanese
Gender: Female
Who Is the Oldest Woman Alive?
The oldest woman alive is Maria Branyas Morera. She was born in March 1907 and is currently aged 116 years old.
We’ve discussed Morera in greater detail in this article. Click here to learn more.
Who Is the Oldest Man Alive?
The oldest man alive is Juan Vicente Pérez Mora. He was born in May 1909 and is currently aged 114 years old.
We’ve discussed Perez in greater detail in this article. Click here to learn more.
Who is the Oldest Person Ever?
Jeanne Louise Calment is both the oldest human in history and the oldest woman in history. She lived to 122 years and 164 days, from 1875 to 1997. Currently, Calment is the only verified person to have lived beyond 120 years of age.
Calment was born in Arles, France, and her age was verified through personal documents from the city’s archives.
Credit: Paris Match, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
We also have an article looking at the oldest living celebrities in the world, including the likes of Norman Lear, Dick van Dyke and David Attenborough!
We’re on a mission to support individuals and their loved ones throughout each stage of their later living journey. For more information, check out everything Lottie has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the oldest woman in history?
The oldest woman is Jeanne Louise Calment. This French supercentenarian was verified as living to 122 years and 164 days. Calment was born on the 21st of February 1875 and passed away on the 4th of August 1997.
Because she lived for so long, Calment drew attention from the media and those working in medicinal fields, with many interested in her health and lifestyle.
Who is the oldest man in history?
The oldest ever verified man is Jiroemon Kimura (1897-2013). Kimura was born in Japan and lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days.
Who is the oldest person to have a baby?
The oldest person to naturally give birth naturally is Dawn Brooke. She gave birth at the age of 59 in 1997.
The world’s oldest verified mother to give birth through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) with donor eggs is Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara of Spain. She gave birth to twins in 2006 at the age of 66 years and 358 days.
Erramatti Mangamma is recorded as the oldest living mother to give birth through IVF via caesarean section. She did so in 2019 at the age of 73, giving birth to twin baby girls.
