The world's oldest person has died in the US after holding the illustrious title for just six days.

At 116, Arkansas woman Gertrude Weaver officially became the oldest living person last week following the death of 117-year-old Japanese woman Misao Okawa on March 31.

Ms Weaver died on Monday morning at the Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center in Camden, about 160km from Little Rock, the Williams Funeral Home confirmed.

Camden Mayor Marie Trisollini told the Associated Press she was with Ms Weaver last week as they celebrated a friend's 100th birthday.

"She was a really sweet lady. She was relatively perky and coherent when I talked with her before the party," Mayor Trisollini said.

"When you asked for advice on how to live a long life she would say: 'Use a lot of skin moisturizer, treat everyone nice, love your neighbour and eat your own cooking. Don't eat at fast food places.'"

Ms Weaver was believed to be born in 1898 but her exact date of birth remained mystery, according to records collected by the Gerontology Research Group in Los Angeles.

Using Census data and a marriage certificate from 1915 that listed her age as 17, researchers were able to tell Ms Weaver's age but not her date of birth which she instead celebrated on July 4.

The nursing home was making plans for Ms Weaver's 117th birthday, to which she planned to invite President Barack Obama because she had voted for him twice.