Rise of the centenarians: Number of people over the age of 100 increases FIVE-FOLD in 30 years In 1981 there were 2,420 people aged 100 or over in England and Wales By 2012 the figure was 12,320, with 610 thought to be aged 105 or over The number of people over the age of 90 has tripled since 1981 - they now make up nearly one per cent of the total population of England and Wales There are estimated to be 2.6 women per man aged 90 and over and 5.9 women per man aged 100 and over There has been a five-fold increase in the number of centenarians during the last three decades, figures show. In 1981, there were just 2,420 people aged 100 or over living in England and Wales. By 2012, the figure had shot up to 12,320, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The number of pensioners aged over 90 has almost tripled in the three decades since 1981. In 1981 there were 157,390 people over the age of 90 living in England and Wales. The figure soared to 465,500 by 2012 And the ONS estimates that of the latest figure, 610 people are aged 105 or more. The figures also show that the number of pensioners aged over 90 has almost tripled in the three decades since 1981 - when there were 157,390 people over the age of 90 living in England and Wales. The figure has soared to 465,500 in 2012 - just under one per cent of the total population - the data showed. Indeed, in the last decade alone there has been a 33 per cent increase in the number of people aged 90 and over. There are estimated to be 2.6 women per man aged 90 and over and 5.9 women per man aged 100 and over in England and Wales There has been a five-fold increase in the number of centenarians during the last three decades, figures show There are estimated to be 2.6 women per man aged 90 and over and 5.9 women per man aged 100 and over in England and Wales. There has been a continuing increase in the number of people aged 90 or over since 1981, apart from in 2008 when there was a slight dip in the number of the "oldest old." The ONS says the fall reflects low birth numbers towards the end of the First World War. By 2012, the figure had shot up to 12,320 "Life expectancy continues to increase for both males and females in England and Wales, with improvements in the recent decades mainly due to improvements in mortality at older ages," the ONS report states. This has resulted in increasing numbers of people aged 90 and over in the population. "Growth in the numbers of the "oldest old" is of policy interest because of implications for pensions, health and social care." In the UK there are just over 800 over 90s per 100,000 people. In Japan, the figure is 1,200 per 100,000