An ageing population: the neighbourhoods in Chorley and South Ribble with the most centenarians

Earlier this week, the Post revealed that Preston had 25 centenarians – that is, someone aged 100 or more – split across eleven neighbourhoods, but in Chorley there is even more, at 33, and South Ribble 22, taking the number across the area to 55.

The prominence of this oldest age group across these central Lancashire areas, is part of a wider national pattern. The population of England and Wales has continued to age, with the most recent census results showing there are more people than ever before in the older age groups.

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

Meanwhile, the average (median) age in England and Wales rose from 39 years in 2011 to 40 years in 2021, reflecting the changing age structure of the population.

Angele Storey, head of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 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.”

Take a look at the eleven neighbourhoods in Chorley and South Ribble who are home to at least one person aged 100 or more below: