BEIJING -- The number of centenarians in Beijing reached 751 by the end of 2016, 43 more than in the previous year, according to a report released Monday.

The number of people aged 100 or older was 6 percent more than in 2015. Among the centenarians, 330 were male and 421 were female.

In 2016, the average life expectancy of Beijing residents was 82.03, up 0.68 year from 2012.

The report was jointly released by the municipal government and the China Philanthropy Research Institute.

China's elderly population has been increasing rapidly and is expected to hit around 400 million by the end of 2035, according to the China Association of Social Security (CAOSS).