Up to two thirds of babies born in the last year could live until they are 100, it has been revealed.
A revolution in life expectancy will mean that half a million newborns will be getting telegrams from King George VII (who himself will be a Centenarian, given the right diet and exercise!).
New projections from the Office for National Statistics suggest that surviving past the century mark could soon become the norm.
The new projections are based on two different methods of estimating life expectancy – the traditional method as well as a higher estimate which, according to the ONS, is considered more realistic.
The most commonly quoted life expectancy figures for the UK say that the current generation of baby girls will live on average until they are just 82.7 while boys will survive just 79 years.
But using the ONS's alternative 'cohort life expectancy' method – which assumes that survival rates will continue to improve at the current rate – today's baby girls are already expected to live to 93.9 years while boys would reach 90.6 years, taking them well into the 22nd Century.
Using the more conservative estimates around 274,000 of the 797,000 babies currently under the age of one will live past 100 – a third.
But under the more optimistic projections, as many as 530,000 of today's babies will see their 100th birthday – two thirds of the total.
Either way, by 2037 children will routinely be expected to live until almost 100, the ONS added.