Lists of state leaders by age
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Since 1900, the youngest serving state leader has been 192-day-old Fuad II of Egypt (left), while the oldest has been 96-year-old President of Malawi Hastings Banda (right).
This article contains various lists of state leaders organized by age, defined as heads of state and/or heads of government. Typically this list includes presidents, prime ministers or monarchs.
10 oldest currently serving state leaders
People currently serving as head of state and/or head of government, or a representative of a head of state.
| Rank | Name | Born | Age | Position | Assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahathir Mohamad | 10 July 1925 | 98 years, 311 days | Prime Minister of Malaysia | 2018[1] |
| 2 | Elizabeth II | 21 April 1926 | 98 years, 25 days | Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other countries | 1952 |
| 3 | Beji Caid Essebsi | 29 November 1926 | 97 years, 169 days | President of Tunisia | 2014[2] |
| 4 | Kim Yong-nam | 4 February 1928 | 96 years, 102 days | Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea | 1998 |
| 5 | Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | 16 June 1929 | 94 years, 335 days | Emir of Kuwait | 2006 |
| 6 | Dame Marguerite Pindling | 26 June 1932 | 91 years, 325 days | Governor-General of the Bahamas | 2014 |
| 7 | Sir Colville Young | 20 November 1932 | 91 years, 178 days | Governor-General of Belize | 1993 |
| 8 | Paul Biya | 13 February 1933 | 91 years, 93 days | President of Cameroon | 1982[3] |
| 9 | Akihito | 23 December 1933 | 90 years, 145 days | Emperor of Japan | 1989 |
| 10 | Michel Aoun | 18 February 1935 | 89 years, 88 days | President of Lebanon | 2016[4] |
10 oldest ever serving state leaders
| Rank | Name | Position | Last year in office (reason term ended) |
Age at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Giovanni Paolo Lascaris | Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller | 1657 (death) | 97 years, 47 days |
| Abdul Momin | Sultan of Brunei | 1885 (death) | ≥97 years[5] | |
| Enrico Dandolo | Doge of Venice | 1205 (death) | ≥97 years[6] | |
| 4 | Hastings Banda | President of Malawi | 1994 (presidency for life revoked, lost reelection) | 96 years, 98 days |
| 5 | Prem Tinsulanonda | Regent of Thailand | 2016 (term ended) | 96 years, 97 days |
| 6 | Nicolò da Ponte | Doge of Venice | 1585 (death) | 94 years, 196 days |
| 7 | Malietoa Tanumafili II | Malietoa of Samoa | 2007 (death) | 94 years, 127 days |
| 8 | Robert Mugabe | President of Zimbabwe | 2017 (resignation) | 93 years, 273 days |
| 9 | Leo XIII | Pope of the Holy See | 1903 (death) | 93 years, 140 days |
| 10 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | Incumbent | 98 years, 311 days |
Longest lived state leaders
The following lists are the top ten all-time state leaders and the top ten living.
Top ten since 1800
| Rank | Name | Position | Birth | Death | 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) President (1950–1960) |
1883 | 1986 | 103 years, 98 days |
| 3 | Antoine Pinay | Prime Minister of France (1952–1953) | 1891 | 1994 | 102 years, 348 days |
| 4 | Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni | Prime Minister of Japan (1945) | 1887 | 1990 | 102 years, 48 days |
| 5 | Ek Yi Oun | Prime Minister of Cambodia (1958) | 1910 | 2013 | 102 years, 1 day to 103 years, 364 days[7] |
| 6 | Willem Drees | Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1948–1958) | 1886 | 1988 | 101 years, 314 days |
| 7 | Đỗ Mười | Prime Minister of Vietnam (1988–1991) General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1991–1997) |
1917 | 2018 | 101 years, 241 days |
| 8 | Babiker Awadalla | Prime Minister of Sudan (1969) | 1917 | Alive | 107 years, 75 days |
| 9 | Zhang Qun | Premier of the Republic of China (1947–1948) | 1889 | 1990 | 101 years, 219 days |
| 10 | Piet de Jong | Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1967–1971) | 1915 | 2016 | 101 years, 115 days |
Top ten living
| Rank | Name | Position | Birth | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Babiker Awadalla | Prime Minister of Sudan (1969) | 2 March 1917 | 107 years, 75 days |
| 2 | Yasuhiro Nakasone | Prime Minister of Japan (1982–1987) | 27 May 1918 | 105 years, 355 days |
| 3 | Hyun Soong-jong | Prime Minister of South Korea (1992–1993) | 26 January 1919 | 105 years, 111 days |
| 4 | Hau Pei-tsun | Premier of the Republic of China (1990–1993) | 13 July 1919 | 104 years, 308 days |
| 5 | Javier Pérez de Cuéllar | Prime Minister of Peru (2000–2001) | 19 January 1920 | 104 years, 118 days |
| 6 | Prem Tinsulanonda | Prime Minister of Thailand (1980–1988) Regent (2016) |
26 August 1920 | 103 years, 264 days |
| 7 | Tun Tin | Prime Minister of Burma (1988) | 2 October 1920 | 103 years, 227 days |
| 8 | Lê Đức Anh | President of Vietnam (1992–1997) | 1 December 1920 | 103 years, 167 days |
| 9 | Jean | Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1964–2000) | 5 January 1921 | 103 years, 132 days |
| 10 | Mustafa Ben Halim | Prime Minister of Libya (1954–1957) | 29 January 1921 | 103 years, 108 days |
10 youngest serving state leaders
| Rank | Name | Position | Birth | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Kurz | Chancellor of Austria (since 2017) | 27 August 1986 | 37 years, 263 days |
| 2 | Luca Santolini | Captain Regent of San Marino (since 2018) | 22 February 1985 | 39 years, 84 days |
| 3 | Kim Jong-un | Supreme Leader of North Korea (since 2011) | 8 January 1983 | 41 years, 129 days |
| 4 | Mamuka Bakhtadze | Prime Minister of Georgia (since 2018) | 9 June 1982 | 41 years, 342 days |
| 5 | Jacinda Ardern | Prime Minister of New Zealand (since 2017) | 26 July 1980 | 43 years, 295 days |
| 6 | Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani | Emir of Qatar (since 2013) | 3 June 1980 | 43 years, 348 days |
| 7 | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | King of Bhutan (since 2006) | 21 February 1980 | 44 years, 85 days |
| 8 | Carlos Alvarado Quesada | President of Costa Rica (since 2018) | 14 January 1980 | 44 years, 123 days |
| 9 | Leo Varadkar | Taoiseach of Ireland (since 2017) | 18 January 1979 | 45 years, 119 days |
| 10 | Jüri Ratas | Prime Minister of Estonia (since 2016) | 2 July 1978 | 45 years, 319 days |
10 youngest state leaders (since 1945)
Leaders still serving are highlighted in italicized bold.
| Rank | Name | Position | Age (when they took office) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuad II | King of Egypt | 192 days |
| 2 | Gyanendra | King of Nepal | 3 years, 123 days |
| 3 | Faisal II | King of Iraq | 3 years, 337 days |
| 4 | Hussein | King of Jordan | 16 years, 271 days |
| 5 | Jigme Singye Wangchuck | King of Bhutan | 16 years, 256 days |
| 6 | Mswati III[8] | King of Swaziland | 18 years, 6 days |
| 7 | Bhumibol Adulyadej | King of Thailand | 18 years, 186 days |
| 8 | Ntare V | King of Burundi | 18 years, 218 days |
| 9 | Jean-Claude Duvalier | President of Haiti | 19 years, 293 days |
| 10 | Baudouin | King of Belgium | 20 years, 313 days |
See also
Notes
- ^ Previously served from 1981–2003.
- ^ Previously served as Prime Minister of Tunisia in 2011.
- ^ Previously served as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975–1982.
- ^ Previously served as President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon from 1988–1990.
- ^ Born "before 21 May 1788", exact date unknown; died on May 30, 1885
- ^ Born in 1107, date unknown; died on June 1, 1205.
- ^ The dates of birth and death for Ek are unknown.
- ^ Began personal reign after a 3-year regency