119-Year-Old Costa Rican José Flores Nears Global Supercentenarian Certification

José Flores Flores, a 119-year-old resident of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region, is awaiting official recognition as the world’s oldest living person.

Costa Rica’s Civil Registry confirms José Flores Flores was born on 11 July 1907 in Guanacaste, making him 119 years old. He resides in a simple wooden-and-sheet-metal house in Obandito de Sardinal, close to the Nicoya Peninsula’s blue-zone area, and follows a routine of traditional meals and daily walks. His granddaughter Hellen Flores, who balances caregiving with elder-care studies, is spearheading the push for certification by the Gerontology Research Group, aided by researcher José Antonio Rabadán and blue-zone advocate Jorge Vindas.

The family survives on about 150,000 colones a month, far below the national average, and relies on community support. If validated, Flores could become the oldest living person, overtaking current record-holder Ethel Caterham and joining the legacy of former record-holder Jeanne Calment. The case underscores the waning longevity benefits of Guanacaste’s traditional lifestyle amid rapid tourism-driven change.