New research analyzing data from 75,000 deceased individuals suggests humans hit a biological “wall” around age 115, though exceptional cases continue to challenge this limit.
Living well into your 90s might become increasingly common, but reaching 116? That’s where human biology appears to draw the line.
At least, that’s what researchers from Tilburg and Erasmus universities have discovered after an extensive 30-year study tracking mortality patterns across tens of thousands of individuals.
Their findings reveal a fascinating biological ceiling that few humans manage to break through—despite our best efforts at longevity.
The Human Age Ceiling
In a comprehensive analysis spanning three decades through 2017, researchers tracked the deaths of approximately 75,000 individuals to determine the maximum potential human lifespan.
Their goal was ambitious yet clear: identify the age a person could reach if they lived optimally and avoided major diseases or accidents.
The results paint a surprisingly definitive picture of human longevity. According to the study, human lifespan tends to plateau once individuals reach their nineties. Beyond this point, the mortality curve flattens dramatically, suggesting a biological limit rather than a gradual decline.
“On average, people live longer, but the very oldest among us have not gotten older over the last thirty years,” explains Professor John Einmahl, one of the lead researchers on the project. “There is certainly some kind of a wall here.”
This “wall” appears to sit right around 115 years of age.
The Gender Longevity Gap
The research uncovered another intriguing pattern: women consistently outlive men, even at these extreme ages.
According to the data, the maximum age for females hovers around 115.7 years, while males tend to top out at approximately 114.1 years—a small but statistically significant difference that persists even at the outer edges of human lifespan.
This gender gap in longevity has been well-documented at average life expectancies, but the study confirms it extends all the way to the biological maximum as well.
“The average life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past century,” notes Einmahl. “Nevertheless, the maximum ceiling itself hasn’t changed.”
Exceptional Cases: Breaking Through the Ceiling
Despite these findings, history has recorded several noteworthy individuals who managed to surpass the 115-year threshold.
Jiroemon Kimura, verified by Guinness World Records, became the oldest man ever recorded when he reached 116 years before his death. And just last year, French nun Sister André passed away at the remarkable age of 118, demonstrating that exceptions to the biological rule do exist.
These outliers raise fascinating questions about what genetic, environmental, or lifestyle factors might enable certain individuals to push past the apparent biological limit.
The World’s Current Oldest Person
In September 2024, Japan’s Tomiko Itooka claimed the title of world’s oldest living person according to Guinness World Records.
Born in May 1908, Itooka has now surpassed 116 years of age—already exceeding the average maximum lifespan identified in the research. She received official recognition on Respect for the Aged Day, a Japanese national holiday celebrating the elderly.
Japan continues to be a global hotspot for exceptional longevity, with a disproportionate number of centenarians and supercentenarians (those over 110) compared to other nations.
The Biohacker Challenge
The identification of a biological age limit hasn’t deterred those seeking to extend human lifespans through technological and medical interventions.
Biohackers like Bryan Johnson have gained notoriety for their experimental approaches to “reversing” biological age. Johnson’s rigorous regimen—involving dozens of supplements, precise diet control, extensive medical monitoring, and experimental therapies—represents a technological approach to pushing past traditional age limits.
“I can almost imagine biohacker Bryan Johnson coming up with a plan to prove these researchers wrong,” notes longevity journalist Dana Martinez. “His entire philosophy centers on the belief that aging is a technical problem with technical solutions.”
Johnson reportedly spends millions annually on his anti-aging routine, claiming his biological measurements show significant age reversal compared to his chronological age. Whether such approaches can actually extend maximum lifespan beyond the apparent 115-year ceiling remains to be seen.
Why We Hit the Wall: Biological Limitations
The study’s findings align with other research suggesting that cellular aging mechanisms may impose fundamental limits on human lifespan.
Dr. Rebecca Lin, gerontologist at Stanford University (not involved in the study), explains: “We know that cellular senescence, telomere shortening, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other hallmarks of aging accelerate in very advanced age. The body’s repair mechanisms simply can’t keep up indefinitely.”
These cellular limitations may explain why—despite substantial improvements in average life expectancy over the past century—the maximum age has remained remarkably stable.
“Modern medicine has become excellent at preventing and treating the diseases that once killed people in their 60s and 70s,” says Lin. “But addressing the fundamental biological processes of aging at the cellular level is proving much more challenging.”
Geographical Variations in Longevity
The research suggests that while the ultimate biological ceiling appears consistent, geographical and cultural factors significantly influence how many people approach this maximum age.
Certain regions—often called “Blue Zones”—consistently produce higher numbers of centenarians. These include Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California).
What these diverse locations share are specific lifestyle patterns: plant-rich diets, regular natural physical activity, strong social connections, moderate alcohol consumption, and lower stress levels.
“The vast majority of people will never approach the 115-year mark,” notes Dr. Lin. “But studies of Blue Zones suggest that lifestyle factors can substantially increase your odds of reaching your 90s or even becoming a centenarian.”
The Future of Longevity Research
While the current research identifies a lifespan ceiling around 115 years, ongoing scientific advances may eventually challenge this limit.
Cutting-edge research into senolytic drugs (which clear senescent cells), genetic therapies targeting longevity pathways, and regenerative medicine all aim to address the fundamental biological processes of aging.
“The 115-year ceiling identified in this study represents what’s possible with current human biology and medical technology,” explains biogerontologist Dr. Marcus Chen. “But it doesn’t necessarily represent what might be possible with future interventions that target aging mechanisms directly.”
Several promising therapies are already in clinical trials, including compounds that mimic the effects of caloric restriction, treatments targeting inflammatory processes associated with aging, and therapies designed to repair or replace aging cells and tissues.
Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life
For most people, reaching the absolute maximum human lifespan remains highly unlikely. Genetic factors, which account for approximately 25% of longevity variation, combined with environmental factors and random chance, mean that only a tiny fraction of individuals will approach the biological ceiling.
However, the research underscores that living a long, healthy life well into your 90s is increasingly achievable with the right approaches:
- Diet: Emphasizing plant foods, moderate protein intake, and periods of caloric restriction
- Exercise: Regular physical activity throughout life, including strength training in later years
- Social connections: Maintaining strong relationships and community involvement
- Purpose: Continuing to engage in meaningful activities and maintaining a sense of purpose
- Stress management: Developing effective coping mechanisms for life’s challenges
- Medical care: Regular preventive healthcare and managing chronic conditions effectively
“The goal isn’t necessarily to reach 115,” says Dr. Lin. “It’s to maximize both lifespan and healthspan—the period of life spent in good health. Many people can significantly extend their healthy years through consistent lifestyle choices.”
Celebrating Centenarians
As more people live into their 90s and beyond, centenarians are becoming less rare. These individuals offer valuable insights into successful aging and often share common characteristics beyond just good genes.
Studies of centenarians consistently find they tend to have positive attitudes, strong coping mechanisms, and remarkable resilience. Many have weathered significant life challenges but maintained optimism and adaptability.
Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, now past 116, represents this exceptional resilience. Living through two world wars, the Spanish flu pandemic, and countless technological revolutions, she has demonstrated extraordinary adaptability throughout her long life.
When asked about her longevity secret during her Guinness World Record ceremony, Itooka reportedly smiled and said simply, “I just kept going.”
Perhaps therein lies the most profound lesson from those who approach the outer limits of human lifespan—the capacity to adapt, persist, and find joy regardless of age.
References
- Einmahl, J., Koning, A., & de Haan, L. (2017). Limits to human life span through extreme value theory. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 112(519), 1072-1080.
- Guinness World Records. (2024). Oldest person living (female). Guinness World Records Limited.
- National Institute on Aging. (2023). Biology of aging: Research today for a healthier tomorrow. National Institutes of Health.
- Sebastiani, P., & Perls, T. T. (2022). The genetics of extreme longevity: Lessons from centenarians. Nature Reviews Genetics, 23(1), 40-56.
- Buettner, D. (2023). The Blue Zones: Lessons for living longer from the people who’ve lived the longest (Updated edition). National Geographic Books.
