List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by age
This is a list of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by age. This table can be sorted to display prime ministers of the United Kingdom by name, order of office, date of birth, age at appointment, length of retirement, or lifespan. Age at appointment is determined by the day a prime minister assumed office for the first time. Length of retirement is determined from the day a prime minister leaves office for the final time until their death.
Two measures of longevity are given; this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each prime minister. The first figure is the number of days between date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; in parentheses the same period given in years and days, with the number of whole years that the prime minister had lived, and the days being the remaining number of days from their last birthday. Where the prime minister in question is still living, their longevity is measured up to 1 December 2024.
List of prime ministers
[edit]Prime Minister | Date of birth | Premiership |
---|---|---|
John Major[1] | 29 March 1943 | 1990–1997 |
Gordon Brown[1] | 20 February 1951 | 2007–2010 |
Tony Blair[1] | 6 May 1953 | 1997–2007 |
Theresa May[1] | 1 October 1956 | 2016–2019 |
Keir Starmer[1] | 2 September 1962 | 2024–present |
Boris Johnson[1] | 19 June 1964 | 2019–2022 |
David Cameron[1] | 9 October 1966 | 2010–2016 |
Liz Truss[1] | 26 July 1975 | 2022 |
Rishi Sunak[1] | 12 May 1980 | 2022–2024 |
- Key to table
Living
Currently in office
Prime Ministers who served two or more non-consecutive terms
a indicates the prime minister died in office.
No. | Name | Born | Date of first appointment | Age | Final end of service | Age | Post–premiership/ Time period between two non-consecutive tenures (in italics) |
Death | Lifespan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Robert Walpole | 26 August 1676 | 3 April 1721 | 44 years, 220 days | 11 February 1742 | 65 years, 169 days | 3 years, 35 days | 18 March 1745 | 68 years, 204 days (25,040 days) |
2 | Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington | 1673 | 16 February 1742 | 68–69 years | 2 July 1743 | 69–70 years | 0 days | 2 July 1743a | (25,577 days) | 69–70 years
3 | Henry Pelham | 25 September 1694 | 27 August 1743 | 48 years, 336 days | 6 March 1754 | 59 years, 162 days | 0 days | 6 March 1754a | 59 years, 162 days (21,711 days) |
4 | Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle | 21 July 1693 | 16 March 1754 | 60 years, 238 days | 26 May 1762 | 68 years, 309 days | 6 years, 175 days | 17 November 1768 | 75 years, 119 days (27,512 days) |
5 | William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire | 8 May 1720 | 16 November 1756 | 36 years, 192 days | 29 June 1757 | 37 years, 52 days | 7 years, 95 days | 2 October 1764 | 44 years, 147 days (16,218 days) |
6 | John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute | 25 May 1713 | 26 May 1762 | 49 years, 1 day | 8 April 1763 | 49 years, 318 days | 28 years, 337 days | 10 March 1792 | 78 years, 290 days (28,779 days) |
7 | George Grenville | 14 October 1712 | 16 April 1763 | 50 years, 184 days | 10 July 1765 | 52 years, 269 days | 5 years, 126 days | 13 November 1770 | 58 years, 30 days (21,214 days) |
8 | Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham | 13 May 1730 | 13 July 1765 | 35 years, 61 days | 1 July 1782 | 52 years, 49 days | 0 days | 1 July 1782a | 52 years, 49 days (19,042 days) |
9 | William Pitt the Elder | 15 November 1708 | 30 July 1766 | 57 years, 257 days | 14 October 1768 | 59 years, 334 days | 9 years, 209 days | 11 May 1778 | 69 years, 177 days (25,379 days) |
10 | Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton | 28 September 1735 | 14 October 1768 | 33 years, 16 days | 28 January 1770 | 34 years, 122 days | 41 years, 45 days | 14 March 1811 | 75 years, 167 days (27,560 days) |
11 | Frederick North, Lord North | 13 April 1732 | 28 January 1770 | 37 years, 290 days | 27 March 1782 | 49 years, 348 days | 10 years, 131 days | 5 August 1792 | 60 years, 114 days (22,029 days) |
12 | William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne | 2 May 1737 | 4 July 1782 | 45 years, 63 days | 26 March 1783 | 45 years, 328 days | 22 years, 42 days | 7 May 1805 | 68 years, 5 days (24,841 days) |
13 | William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland | 14 April 1738 | 2 April 1783 | 44 years, 353 days | 4 October 1809 | 71 years, 173 days | 26 days | 30 October 1809 | 71 years, 199 days (26,131 days) |
14 | William Pitt the Younger | 28 May 1759 | 19 December 1783 | 24 years, 205 days | 23 January 1806 | 46 years, 240 days | 0 days | 23 January 1806a | 46 years, 240 days (17,041 days) |
15 | Henry Addington | 30 May 1757 | 17 March 1801 | 43 years, 291 days | 10 May 1804 | 46 years, 346 days | 39 years, 281 days | 15 February 1844 | 86 years, 261 days (31,671 days) |
16 | William Grenville | 25 October 1759 | 11 February 1806 | 46 years, 109 days | 25 March 1807 | 47 years, 151 days | 26 years, 293 days | 12 January 1834 | 74 years, 79 days (27,107 days) |
17 | Spencer Perceval | 1 November 1762 | 4 October 1809 | 46 years, 337 days | 11 May 1812 | 49 years, 192 days | 0 days | 11 May 1812a | 49 years, 192 days (18,078 days) |
18 | Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool | 7 June 1770 | 8 June 1812 | 42 years, 1 day | 9 April 1827 | 56 years, 306 days | 1 year, 239 days | 4 December 1828 | 58 years, 180 days (21,364 days) |
19 | George Canning | 11 April 1770 | 12 April 1827 | 57 years, 1 day | 8 August 1827 | 57 years, 119 days | 0 days | 8 August 1827a | 57 years, 119 days (20,937 days) |
20 | F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich | 1 November 1782 | 31 August 1827 | 44 years, 303 days | 8 January 1828 | 45 years, 68 days | 31 years, 20 days | 28 January 1859 | 76 years, 88 days (27,846 days) |
21 | Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington | 1 May 1769 | 22 January 1828 | 58 years, 266 days | 9 December 1834 | 65 years, 222 days | 17 years, 280 days | 14 September 1852 | 83 years, 136 days (30,451 days) |
22 | Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey | 13 March 1764 | 22 November 1830 | 66 years, 254 days | 9 July 1834 | 70 years, 118 days | 11 years, 8 days | 17 July 1845 | 81 years, 126 days (29,710 days) |
23 | William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne | 15 March 1779 | 16 July 1834 | 55 years, 123 days | 30 August 1841 | 62 years, 168 days | 7 years, 86 days | 24 November 1848 | 69 years, 254 days (25,456 days) |
24 | Robert Peel | 5 February 1788 | 10 December 1834 | 46 years, 308 days | 29 June 1846 | 58 years, 144 days | 4 years, 3 days | 2 July 1850 | 62 years, 147 days (22,792 days) |
25 | Lord John Russell | 18 August 1792 | 30 June 1846 | 53 years, 316 days | 26 June 1866 | 73 years, 312 days | 11 years, 336 days | 28 May 1878 | 85 years, 283 days (31,328 days) |
26 | Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby | 29 March 1799 | 23 February 1852 | 52 years, 331 days | 25 February 1868 | 68 years, 333 days | 1 year, 240 days | 23 October 1869 | 70 years, 208 days (25,775 days) |
27 | George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen | 28 January 1784 | 19 December 1852 | 68 years, 326 days | 30 January 1855 | 71 years, 2 days | 5 years, 319 days | 14 December 1860 | 76 years, 321 days (28,079 days) |
28 | Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston | 20 October 1784 | 6 February 1855 | 70 years, 109 days | 18 October 1865 | 80 years, 363 days | 0 days | 18 October 1865a | 80 years, 363 days (29,582 days) |
29 | Benjamin Disraeli (Term 1) |
21 December 1804 | 27 February 1868 | 63 years, 68 days | 1 December 1868 | 63 years, 346 days | 5 years, 83 days | 19 April 1881 | 76 years, 119 days (27,878 days) |
30 | William Ewart Gladstone (Term 1) |
29 December 1809 | 3 December 1868 | 58 years, 340 days | 17 February 1874 | 64 years, 51 days | 6 years, 67 days | 19 May 1898 | 88 years, 141 days (32,283 days) |
(29.) | Benjamin Disraeli (Term 2) |
21 December 1804 | 20 February 1874 | 69 years, 71 days | 21 April 1880 | 75 years, 122 days | 363 days | 19 April 1881 | 76 years, 119 days (27,878 days) |
(30.) | William Ewart Gladstone (Term 2) |
29 December 1809 | 23 April 1880 | 70 years, 116 days | 9 June 1885 | 75 years, 163 days | 238 days | 19 May 1898 | 88 years, 141 days (32,283 days) |
31 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Term 1) |
3 February 1830 | 23 June 1885 | 55 years, 140 days | 28 January 1886 | 55 years, 359 days | 179 days | 22 August 1903 | 73 years, 200 days (26,862 days) |
(30.) | William Ewart Gladstone (Term 3) |
29 December 1809 | 1 February 1886 | 76 years, 35 days | 21 July 1886 | 76 years, 205 days | 6 years, 21 days | 19 May 1898 | 88 years, 141 days (32,283 days) |
(31.) | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Term 2) |
3 February 1830 | 25 July 1886 | 56 years, 172 days | 11 August 1892 | 62 years, 189 days | 2 years, 313 days | 22 August 1903 | 73 years, 200 days (26,862 days) |
(30.) | William Ewart Gladstone (Term 4) |
29 December 1809 | 11 August 1892 | 82 years, 226 days | 2 March 1894 | 84 years, 63 days | 4 years, 78 days | 19 May 1898 | 88 years, 141 days (32,283 days) |
32 | Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery | 7 May 1847 | 5 March 1894 | 46 years, 302 days | 22 June 1895 | 48 years, 46 days | 33 years, 333 days | 21 May 1929 | 82 years, 14 days (29,964 days) |
(31.) | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Term 3) |
3 February 1830 | 25 June 1895 | 65 years, 142 days | 11 July 1902 | 72 years, 158 days | 1 year, 42 days | 22 August 1903 | 73 years, 200 days (26,862 days) |
33 | Arthur Balfour | 25 July 1848 | 12 July 1902 | 53 years, 352 days | 4 December 1905 | 57 years, 132 days | 24 years, 105 days | 19 March 1930 | 81 years, 237 days (29,821 days) |
34 | Henry Campbell-Bannerman | 7 September 1836 | 5 December 1905 | 69 years, 89 days | 3 April 1908 | 71 years, 211 days | 19 days | 22 April 1908 | 71 years, 228 days (26,159 days) |
35 | H. H. Asquith | 12 September 1852 | 5 April 1908 | 55 years, 206 days | 5 December 1916 | 64 years, 84 days | 11 years, 72 days | 15 February 1928 | 75 years, 156 days (27,548 days) |
36 | David Lloyd George | 17 January 1863 | 6 December 1916 | 53 years, 324 days | 22 October 1922 | 59 years, 278 days | 22 years, 155 days | 26 March 1945 | 82 years, 68 days (30,018 days) |
37 | Bonar Law | 16 September 1858 | 23 October 1922 | 64 years, 37 days | 20 May 1923 | 64 years, 246 days | 163 days | 30 October 1923 | 65 years, 44 days (23,784 days) |
38 | Stanley Baldwin (Term 1) |
3 August 1867 | 22 May 1923 | 55 years, 292 days | 22 January 1924 | 56 years, 173 days | 288 days | 14 December 1947 | 80 years, 133 days (29,352 days) |
39 | Ramsay MacDonald (Term 1) |
12 October 1866 | 22 January 1924 | 57 years, 102 days | 4 November 1924 | 58 years, 23 days | 4 years, 213 days | 9 November 1937 | 71 years, 28 days (25,960 days) |
(38.) | Stanley Baldwin (Term 2) |
3 August 1867 | 4 November 1924 | 57 years, 93 days | 5 June 1929 | 61 years, 306 days | 6 years, 2 days | 14 December 1947 | 80 years, 133 days (29,352 days) |
(39.) | Ramsay MacDonald (Term 2) |
12 October 1866 | 5 June 1929 | 62 years, 236 days | 7 June 1935 | 68 years, 238 days | 2 years, 155 days | 9 November 1937 | 71 years, 28 days (25,960 days) |
(38.) | Stanley Baldwin (Term 3) |
3 August 1867 | 7 June 1935 | 67 years, 308 days | 28 May 1937 | 69 years, 298 days | 10 years, 200 days | 14 December 1947 | 80 years, 133 days (29,352 days) |
40 | Neville Chamberlain | 18 March 1869 | 28 May 1937 | 68 years, 71 days | 10 May 1940 | 71 years, 53 days | 183 days | 9 November 1940 | 71 years, 236 days (26,168 days) |
41 | Winston Churchill (Term 1) |
30 November 1874 | 10 May 1940 | 65 years, 162 days | 26 July 1945 | 70 years, 238 days | 6 years, 93 days | 24 January 1965 | 90 years, 55 days (32,927 days) |
42 | Clement Attlee | 3 January 1883 | 26 July 1945 | 62 years, 204 days | 26 October 1951 | 68 years, 296 days | 15 years, 347 days | 8 October 1967 | 84 years, 278 days (30,958 days) |
(41.) | Winston Churchill (Term 2) |
30 November 1874 | 26 October 1951 | 76 years, 330 days | 6 April 1955 | 80 years, 126 days | 9 years, 294 days | 24 January 1965 | 90 years, 55 days (32,927 days) |
43 | Anthony Eden | 12 June 1897 | 6 April 1955 | 57 years, 298 days | 9 January 1957 | 59 years, 211 days | 20 years, 5 days | 14 January 1977 | 79 years, 216 days (29,070 days) |
44 | Harold Macmillan | 10 February 1894 | 10 January 1957 | 62 years, 335 days | 18 October 1963 | 69 years, 250 days | 23 years, 72 days | 29 December 1986 | 92 years, 322 days (33,924 days) |
45 | Alec Douglas-Home | 2 July 1903 | 19 October 1963 | 60 years, 109 days | 16 October 1964 | 61 years, 106 days | 30 years, 358 days | 9 October 1995 | 92 years, 99 days (33,702 days) |
46 | Harold Wilson (Term 1) |
11 March 1916 | 16 October 1964 | 48 years, 219 days | 19 June 1970 | 54 years, 100 days | 3 years, 259 days | 24 May 1995 | 79 years, 74 days (28,928 days) |
47 | Edward Heath | 9 July 1916 | 19 June 1970 | 53 years, 345 days | 4 March 1974 | 57 years, 238 days | 31 years, 135 days | 17 July 2005 | 89 years, 8 days (32,515 days) |
(46.) | Harold Wilson (Term 2) |
11 March 1916 | 4 March 1974 | 57 years, 358 days | 5 April 1976 | 60 years, 25 days | 19 years, 49 days | 24 May 1995 | 79 years, 74 days (28,928 days) |
48 | James Callaghan | 27 March 1912 | 5 April 1976 | 64 years, 9 days | 4 May 1979 | 67 years, 38 days | 25 years, 326 days | 26 March 2005 | 92 years, 364 days (33,967 days) |
49 | Margaret Thatcher | 13 October 1925 | 4 May 1979 | 53 years, 203 days | 28 November 1990 | 65 years, 46 days | 22 years, 131 days | 8 April 2013 | 87 years, 177 days (31,954 days) |
50 | John Major | 29 March 1943 | 28 November 1990 | 47 years, 244 days | 2 May 1997 | 54 years, 34 days | 27 years, 213 days | 81 years, 247 days (29,833 days) | |
51 | Tony Blair | 6 May 1953 | 2 May 1997 | 43 years, 361 days | 27 June 2007 | 54 years, 52 days | 17 years, 157 days | 71 years, 209 days (26,142 days) | |
52 | Gordon Brown | 20 February 1951 | 27 June 2007 | 56 years, 127 days | 11 May 2010 | 59 years, 80 days | 14 years, 204 days | 73 years, 285 days (26,948 days) | |
53 | David Cameron | 9 October 1966 | 11 May 2010 | 43 years, 214 days | 13 July 2016 | 49 years, 278 days | 8 years, 141 days | 58 years, 53 days (21,238 days) | |
54 | Theresa May | 1 October 1956 | 13 July 2016 | 59 years, 286 days | 24 July 2019 | 62 years, 296 days | 5 years, 130 days | 68 years, 61 days (24,898 days) | |
55 | Boris Johnson | 19 June 1964 | 24 July 2019 | 55 years, 35 days | 6 September 2022 | 58 years, 79 days | 2 years, 86 days | 60 years, 165 days (22,080 days) | |
56 | Liz Truss | 26 July 1975 | 6 September 2022 | 47 years, 42 days | 25 October 2022 | 47 years, 91 days | 2 years, 37 days | 49 years, 128 days (18,026 days) | |
57 | Rishi Sunak | 12 May 1980 | 25 October 2022 | 42 years, 166 days | 5 July 2024 | 44 years, 54 days | 149 days | 44 years, 203 days (16,274 days) | |
58 | Keir Starmer | 2 September 1962 | 5 July 2024 | 61 years, 307 days | Incumbent | 62 years, 90 days (22,736 days) | |||
No. | Name | Born | Date (first appointment) | Age | End of service | Age | Post–premiership/Time period between two non-consecutive tenures (in italics) | Date of death | Lifespan |
Graphical representation
[edit]This is a graphical lifespan timeline of the prime ministers of the United Kingdom and they are listed in order of office.
The following chart shows prime ministers by their age (living prime ministers in green), with the years of their premiership in blue.
See also
[edit]- Timeline of prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom
- List of presidents of the United States by age