Lists of state leaders by age
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Since 1800, the youngest serving state leader has been 0-day-old Alfonso XIII, King of Spain[1] (left), while the oldest has been 96-year-old Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms (right).
This article contains various lists of state leaders organized by age, defined as heads of state and/or heads of government.
Oldest serving state leaders
Top ten currently serving
People currently serving as head of state and/or head of government, a party leader of a one-party state, or a representative of a head of state.
| Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Biya | President of Cameroon | 1982[2] | 13 February 1933 | 91 years, 265 days |
| 2 | Mahmoud Abbas | President of the Palestinian National Authority, President of the State of Palestine |
2005 | 15 November 1935 | 88 years, 355 days |
| 3 | Salman of Saudi Arabia | King of Saudi Arabia | 2015[3] | 31 December 1935 | 88 years, 309 days |
| 4 | Pope Francis | Pope of the Holy See, Sovereign of the Vatican City State |
2013 | 17 December 1936 | 87 years, 323 days |
| 5 | Harald V of Norway | King of Norway[4] | 1991 | 21 February 1937 | 87 years, 257 days |
| 6 | Ali Khamenei | Supreme Leader of Iran | 1989[5] | 19 April 1939 | 85 years, 199 days |
| 7 | Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Emir of Kuwait | 2023 | 27 September 1940 | 84 years, 38 days |
| 8 | Michael D. Higgins | President of Ireland | 2011 | 18 April 1941 | 83 years, 200 days |
| 9 | Sergio Mattarella | President of Italy | 2015 | 23 July 1941 | 83 years, 104 days |
| 10 | Nangolo Mbumba | President of Namibia | 2024 | 15 August 1941 | 83 years, 81 days |
Top ten of all time
| Rank | Name | Position | Last year in office (reason term ended) |
Age at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giovanni Paolo Lascaris | Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller | 1657 (death) | 97 years, 47 days |
| Ruler of Malta | ||||
| 2 | Elizabeth II | Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms[6] | 2022 (death) | 96 years, 140 days |
| 3 | Prem Tinsulanonda | Regent of Thailand | 2016 (tenure ended) | 96 years, 97 days |
| 4 | George Tupou I | King of Tonga | 1893 (death) | 95 years, 76 days |
| 5 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | 2020 (resigned) | 94 years, 235 days |
| 6 | Nicolò da Ponte | Doge of Venice | 1585 (death) | 94 years, 196 days |
| 7 | Malietoa Tanumafili II | O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa | 2007 (death) | 94 years, 127 days |
| 8 | Robert Mugabe | President of Zimbabwe | 2017 (resigned) | 93 years, 273 days |
| 9 | Pope Leo XIII | Pope of the Holy See[7] | 1903 (death) | 93 years, 140 days |
| 10 | Beji Caid Essebsi | President of Tunisia | 2019 (death) | 92 years, 238 days |
Youngest serving state leaders
Top ten currently serving
| Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Attal | Prime Minister of France | 2024 | 16 March 1989 | 35 years, 233 days |
| 2 | Ibrahim Traoré | President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso | 2022 | 14 March 1988 | 36 years, 235 days |
| Interim President of Burkina Faso | 2022 | ||||
| 3 | Daniel Noboa | President of Ecuador | 2023 | 30 November 1987 | 36 years, 340 days |
| 4 | Milojko Spajić | Prime Minister of Montenegro | 2023 | 24 September 1987 | 37 years, 41 days |
| 5 | Jakov Milatović | President of Montenegro | 2023 | 7 December 1986 | 37 years, 333 days |
| 6 | Simon Harris | Taoiseach of Ireland | 2024 | 17 October 1986 | 38 years, 18 days |
| 7 | Gabriel Boric | President of Chile | 2022 | 11 February 1986 | 38 years, 267 days |
| 8 | Mohammed bin Salman | Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia | 2022 | 31 August 1985 | 39 years, 65 days |
| 9 | Mahamat Déby | President of Chad[8] | 2024 | 4 April 1984 | 40 years, 215 days |
| 10 | Kim Jong Un | Supreme Leader of North Korea[9] | 2011 | 8 January 1983[10] | 41 years, 301 days[10] |
Top ten since 1800
Currently living
| Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Age when assuming office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfonso XIII | King of Spain | 1886 | 0 days[1] |
| 2 | Sobhuza II | King of Swaziland | 1899 | 141 days |
| 3 | Fuad II | King of Egypt | 1952 | 192 days |
| 4 | Puyi | Emperor of China | 1908 | 2 years, 299 days |
| 5 | Rajendra Bikram Shah | King of Nepal | 1816 | 2 years, 353 days |
| 6 | Isabella II | Queen of Spain | 1833 | 2 years, 354 days |
| 7 | Gyanendra | King of Nepal | 1950[11] | 3 years, 123 days |
| 8 | Guangxu | Emperor of China | 1875 | 3 years, 195 days |
| 9 | Faisal II | King of Iraq | 1939 | 3 years, 337 days |
| 10 | Pedro II | Emperor of Brazil | 1831 | 5 years, 126 days |
Oldest state leaders
The following lists show the oldest people who have served office as state leader (not limited to their age while in office).
Top ten living
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| Rank | Name | Position | In office | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guillermo Rodríguez | Acting President of Ecuador | 1972–1976 | 4 November 1923 | 101 years, 0 days |
| 2 | Khamtai Siphandone | Prime Minister of Laos | 1991–1998 | 8 February 1924 | 100 years, 270 days |
| Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party | 1992–2006 | ||||
| President of Laos | 1998–2006 | ||||
| 3 | Tomiichi Murayama | Prime Minister of Japan | 1994–1996 | 3 March 1924 | 100 years, 246 days |
| 4 | Jimmy Carter | President of the United States | 1977–1981 | 1 October 1924 | 100 years, 34 days |
| 5 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | 1981–2003; 2018–2020 | 10 July 1925 | 99 years, 117 days |
| 6 | Mohammad Hasan Sharq | Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan | 1988–1989 | 17 July 1925 | 99 years, 110 days |
| 7 | Abdoulaye Wade | President of Senegal | 2000–2012 | 29 May 1926 | 98 years, 159 days |
| 8 | Valdas Adamkus | President of Lithuania | 1998–2003; 2004–2009 | 3 November 1926 | 98 years, 1 day |
| 9 | Raif Dizdarević | President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia | 1988–1989 | 9 December 1926 | 97 years, 331 days |
| 10 | Thanin Kraivichien | Prime Minister of Thailand | 1976–1977 | 5 April 1927 | 97 years, 213 days |
Top ten since 1800
| Rank | Name | Position | Born | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum | Prime Minister of Cambodia (1962) | 1905 | 2009 | 103 years, 143 days |
| 2 | Celâl Bayar | Prime Minister of Turkey (1937–1939) | 1883 | 1986 | 103 years, 98 days |
| President of Turkey (1950–1960) | |||||
| 3 | Antoine Pinay | Prime Minister of France (1952–1953) | 1891 | 1994 | 102 years, 348 days |
| 4 | André Prunet-Foch | French Viguier in Andorra (1977–1980) | 1914 | 2017 | 102 years, 211 days |
| 5 | Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni | Prime Minister of Japan (1945) | 1887 | 1990 | 102 years, 48 days |
| 6 | Babiker Awadalla | Prime Minister of Sudan (1969) | 1917 | 2019 | 101 years, 321 days |
| 7 | Willem Drees | Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1948–1958) | 1886 | 1988 | 101 years, 314 days |
| 8 | Đỗ Mười | Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam (1988–1991) | 1917 | 2018 | 101 years, 241 days |
| General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1991–1997) | |||||
| 9 | Zhang Qun | Premier of the Republic of China (1947–1948) | 1889 | 1990 | 101 years, 219 days |
| 10 | Yasuhiro Nakasone | Prime Minister of Japan (1982–1987) | 1918 | 2019 | 101 years, 186 days |
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year.
- ^ Previously served as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975–1982.
- ^ Served concurrently as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015–2022.
- ^ The Kingdom of Norway includes the dependent territory of Svalbard.
- ^ Previously served as President of Iran from 1981–1989.
- ^ In 1952, Princess Elizabeth acceded as the monarch of seven Commonwealth realms. At the time of her death, she reigned as Queen of 15 sovereign states including the United Kingdom. From 1957–1983, most of her British colonies attained independence, and some joined the other realms in different years; most states ceased to be a realm upon becoming republics.
- ^ The Vatican was in a territorial dispute with the Kingdom of Italy from 1870–1929.
- ^ Previously President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad from 2021–2022, and Transitional President of Chad from 2022–2024.
- ^ The term Supreme Leader is used as a description, for the sake of brevity, rather than being an official title of a single office. The actual offices held by Kim Jong Un are: General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the DPRK.
- ^ a b Kim's year of birth has been the subject of dispute. North Korean authorities and state-run media have stated Kim's birth date is 8 January 1982, but South Korean intelligence officials believe the actual date is a year later. Until 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department had claimed that his year of birth is 1984.
- ^ Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.
This article includes a politicians-related list of lists.