World's oldest man is also last living man born in 1800s

The world's oldest person, a 116-year-old Japanese man, has now also become the last male alive to have been born in the 19th century.

Jiroemon Kimura won the title with the death in Barbados last week of James Emmanuel 'Doc' Sisnett, at the age of 113 years and 90 days.

According to the Gerontolgy Research Group at University of California, Los Angeles, 21 women born before New Year's Day in 1901 are still living.

Most are in the US and Japan, others in Europe and Canada. However, Kimura is now the only male alive to have been born in the 19th century.

Kimura, born on April 19, 1897, has lived in the reigns of four emperors, and through the premierships of 61 Japanese prime ministers, from Matsukata Masayoshi to Shinzo Abe, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Kimura retired in 1962 at the age of 65 after working 45 years in the Japanese post office.

He now lives in Kyotango, Kyoto Prefecture, with his eldest son's widow, 83, and his grandson's widow, 59, and attributes his long life to eating small portions of food, and admits to spending most of his time "in bed".

The world's oldest living woman, 115-year-old Misao Okawa, also lives in Japan.

Only 60-odd supercentenarians - people who have lived past their 110th birthday - have been verified by reliable birth records.