Who Are the 5 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 October 2024.
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| Rank | Name | Age | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomiko Itooka | 116 | Japanese |
| 2 | Inah Canabarro Lucas | 116 | Brazilian |
| 3 | Elizabeth Francis | 115 | American |
| 4 | Ethel Caterham | 115 | British |
| 5 | Okagi Hayashi | 115 | Japanese |
1. Tomiko Itooka - Born in May 1908 (The Oldest Person in the World)
After Maria Branyas Morera passed away on the 19th of August 2024 and as of September 2024, Tomiko Itooka is the oldest person in the world as officially recognised by Guinness World Records. She is currently 116 years old.
Tomiko Itooka is also 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 September 2024): 116 years old
Date of Birth: 23 May 1908
Nationality: Japanese
Past Occupation(s): Running a textile factory
Gender: Female
2. 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 September 2024): 116 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
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3. Elizabeth Francis - Born in July 1909
The oldest known person in the USA, 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 September 2024): 115 years old
Date of Birth: 25 July 1909
Nationality: American
Past Occupation(s): Coffee shop owner
Gender: Female
4. 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 September 2024): 115 years old
Date of Birth: 21 August 1909
Nationality: British
Past Occupation(s): Ran a nursery and worked as a nanny
Gender: Female
5. 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 September 2024): 115 years old
Date of Birth: 2 September 1909
Nationality: Japanese
Gender: Female
Who Is the Oldest Woman Alive?
The oldest woman alive is Tomiko Itooka. She was born in May 1908 and is currently aged 116 years old.
We’ve discussed Tomiko Itooka 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 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.
