Lists of state leaders by age

Since 1885, 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

Paul Biya, currently the oldest serving state leader

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] (1933-02-13)13 February 1933 91 years, 64 days
2 Mahmoud Abbas President of the Palestinian National Authority,
President of the State of Palestine		 2005 (1935-11-15)15 November 1935 88 years, 154 days
3 Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia 2015[3] (1935-12-31)31 December 1935 88 years, 108 days
4 Francis Pope of the Holy See,
Sovereign of the Vatican City State		 2013 (1936-12-17)17 December 1936 87 years, 122 days
5 Harald V King of Norway[4] 1991 (1937-02-21)21 February 1937 87 years, 56 days
6 Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of Iran 1989[5] (1939-04-19)19 April 1939 84 years, 364 days
7 Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Emir of Kuwait 2023 (1940-09-27)27 September 1940 83 years, 203 days
8 Michael D. Higgins President of Ireland 2011 (1941-04-18)18 April 1941 82 years, 365 days
9 Sergio Mattarella President of Italy 2015 (1941-07-23)23 July 1941 82 years, 269 days
10 Nangolo Mbumba President of Namibia 2024 (1941-08-15)15 August 1941 82 years, 246 days

Top ten of all time

Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, the oldest serving state leader of all time whose age is fully verifiable.
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 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

Gabriel Attal, the youngest serving state leader
Rank Name Position Assumed office Born Age
1 Gabriel Attal Prime Minister of France 2024 16 March 1989 35 years, 32 days
2 Ibrahim Traoré President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso 2022 14 March 1988 36 years, 34 days
Interim President of Burkina Faso 2022
3 Daniel Noboa President of Ecuador 2023 30 November 1987 36 years, 139 days
4 Milojko Spajić Prime Minister of Montenegro 2023 24 September 1987 36 years, 206 days
5 Jakov Milatović President of Montenegro 2023 7 December 1986 37 years, 132 days
6 Simon Harris Taoiseach of Ireland 2024 17 October 1986 37 years, 183 days
7 Gabriel Boric President of Chile 2022 11 February 1986 38 years, 66 days
8 Mohammed bin Salman Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia 2022 31 August 1985 38 years, 230 days
9 Mahamat Déby Transitional President of Chad[8] 2022 4 April 1984 40 years, 14 days
10 Succès Masra Prime Minister of Chad 2024 30 August 1983 40 years, 231 days

Top ten since 1885

     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 Gyanendra King of Nepal 1950[9] 3 years, 123 days
6 Faisal II King of Iraq 1939 3 years, 337 days
7 Michael I King of Romania 1927 5 years, 268 days
8 Simeon II Tsar of Bulgaria 1943 6 years, 73 days
9 Peter II King of Yugoslavia 1934 11 years, 33 days
10 Farouk I King of Egypt 1936 16 years, 77 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

Guillermo Rodríguez, the oldest-living state leader
Rank Name Position In office Born Age
1 Guillermo Rodríguez Acting President of Ecuador 1972–1976 (1923-11-04)4 November 1923 100 years, 165 days
2 Khamtai Siphandone Prime Minister of Laos 1991–1998 (1924-02-08)8 February 1924 100 years, 69 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 (1924-03-03)3 March 1924 100 years, 45 days
4 Jimmy Carter President of the United States 1977–1981 (1924-10-01)1 October 1924 99 years, 199 days
5 Mahathir Mohamad Prime Minister of Malaysia 1981–2003; 2018–2020 (1925-07-10)10 July 1925 98 years, 282 days
6 Mohammad Hasan
Sharq		 Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan 1988–1989 (1925-07-17)17 July 1925 98 years, 275 days
7 Abdoulaye Wade President of Senegal 2000–2012 (1926-05-29)29 May 1926 97 years, 324 days
8 Valdas Adamkus President of Lithuania 1998–2003; 2004–2009 (1926-11-03)3 November 1926 97 years, 166 days
9 Raif Dizdarević President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia 1988–1989 (1926-12-09)9 December 1926 97 years, 130 days
10 Thanin Kraivichien Prime Minister of Thailand 1976–1977 (1927-04-05)5 April 1927 97 years, 12 days

Top ten since 1800

Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum, the longest-lived state leader
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

  1. ^ a b Became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year.
  2. ^ Previously served as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975–1982.
  3. ^ Served concurrently as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015–2022.
  4. ^ The Kingdom of Norway includes the dependent territory of Svalbard.
  5. ^ Previously served as President of Iran from 1981–1989.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ The Vatican was in a territorial dispute with the Kingdom of Italy from 1870–1929.
  8. ^ Previously President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad from 2021–2022.
  9. ^ Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.
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