Supercentenarians in France

Abstract

Three data sources can be used to enumerate French supercentenarians: a list of names compiled from personal archives, death records from vital statistics, and transcripts of individual records from the RNIPP (Répertoire national d’identification des personnes physiques, or National Identification Register of Private Individuals). None of these three sources is exhaustive. A comparison with the English list of supercentenarians shows that the list of names is quite incomplete. Vital statistics contain a lot of erroneous cases due to inaccuracy in the registration of age at death. Furthermore, until 1987, the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (Institut National de la Statistique et des études économiques, or INSEE) deemed all ages at death exceeding 109 to be unacceptable, and did not record any death beyond that age. The RNIPP is the most reliable source. Among the 83 cases of persons who died at age 109+, the age at death was found to be correct for 67 and false for four, while 12 cases have still not been completely investigated. The age at death was verified by checking dates at both the birthplace and the place of death. By comparing cases from the RNIPP to cases from the list of names, the deaths of 46 supercentenarians were confirmed from 1987 to 2000.