The number of centenarians in the United States has increased steadily over the decades. The 2000 census recorded more than 50,000 centenarians, up from 37,000 in the 1990 census. The Census Bureau estimated there were 96,548 centenarians in the United States on November 1, 2008. The United Nations projects there will be 2.2 million centenarians, or one of every 5,000 people, world-wide by 2050.