The number of people celebrating their 100th birthday in the UK is at its highest ever, new figures have revealed.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 11,600 people passed the age of 100 in 2009. Since 1981 the UK's estimated number of centenarians has quadrupled and the figure is expected to reach 87,900 by 2034.

Better medical treatment and a higher standard of housing and living for people aged between 80 and 100 are said to be reasons for the rise.

Director of Age UK, Michelle Mitchell, said, ‘The growing number of people aged 100 and over is cause for real celebration.

‘It shows how far and fast our ageing society is evolving, as well as the true worth of advances in medicine and preventative treatments.’

However, Ms Mitchell added, ‘We all need to help in breaking down the ageist barriers that make older people second-class citizens and building a world where they can flourish.

‘The growth of an older population will also mean significant challenges for policy makers in terms of funding and investing in the sort of services which an ageing society will rely on.

‘There is no excuse for not planning ahead to ensure that health, care, pension and other services are able to meet the needs of an ageing population.’

The ONS figures show that between 2000 and 2009 England and Wales saw the most people receiving centenarian cards from the Queen with a 73% increase in centenaries. The smallest increase was seen in Northern Ireland at 28%.

Data also shows women continue to live for longer, but life expectancy for both females and males have hit record highs, at 77.7 years for a man and 81.6 years for a woman.

The number of women over 100 has always outnumbered that of men, but this ratio is falling.

Since 2000 the number of male centenarians has more than doubled from 700 to 1,700 in 2009, while the number of female centenarians increased by 62% from 6,100 to 9,900.

Although women continue to live longer the gap has narrowed since 1980 from 6.0 to 4.2 years.

Copyright Press Association 2010