Lists of state leaders by age
Since 1900, the youngest serving state leader has been 192-day-old Fuad II, King of Egypt (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[1] | 13 February 1933 | 90 years, 327 days |
| 2 | Mahmoud Abbas | President of the Palestinian National Authority, President of the State of Palestine |
2005 | 15 November 1935 | 88 years, 52 days |
| 3 | Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | King of Saudi Arabia | 2015[2] | 31 December 1935 | 88 years, 6 days |
| 4 | Francis | Pope of the Holy See, Sovereign of the Vatican City State |
2013 | 17 December 1936 | 87 years, 20 days |
| 5 | Harald V | King of Norway[3] | 1991 | 21 February 1937 | 86 years, 319 days |
| 6 | Ali Khamenei | Supreme Leader of Iran | 1989[4] | 19 April 1939 | 84 years, 262 days |
| 7 | Margrethe II | Queen of Denmark[5] | 1972 | 16 April 1940 | 83 years, 265 days |
| 8 | Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Emir of Kuwait | 2023 | 27 September 1940 | 83 years, 101 days |
| 9 | Michael D. Higgins | President of Ireland | 2011 | 18 April 1941 | 82 years, 263 days |
| 10 | Sergio Mattarella | President of Italy | 2015 | 23 July 1941 | 82 years, 167 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 |
| 2 | Abdul Momin | Sultan of Brunei | 1885 (death) | 97 years, 8 days |
| 3 | Elizabeth II | Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms[6] | 2022 (death) | 96 years, 140 days |
| 4 | Hastings Banda | President of Malawi | 1994 (presidency for life revoked, defeated in re-election) | 96 years, 98 days |
| President of the Malawi Congress Party | ||||
| 5 | Prem Tinsulanonda | Regent of Thailand | 2016 (term ended) | 96 years, 97 days |
| 6 | George Tupou I | King of Tonga | 1893 (death) | 95 years, 76 days |
| 7 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | 2020 (resigned) | 94 years, 235 days |
| 8 | Nicolò da Ponte | Doge of Venice | 1585 (death) | 94 years, 196 days |
| 9 | Malietoa Tanumafili II | O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa | 2007 (death) | 94 years, 127 days |
| 10 | Robert Mugabe | President of Zimbabwe | 2017 (resigned) | 93 years, 273 days |
| First Secretary of ZANU–PF |
Youngest serving state leaders
Top ten currently serving
| Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ibrahim Traoré | President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso | 2022 | 14 March 1988[7] | 35 years, 298 days |
| Interim President of Burkina Faso | 2022 | ||||
| 2 | Daniel Noboa | President of Ecuador | 2023 | 30 November 1987 | 36 years, 37 days |
| 3 | Milojko Spajić | Prime Minister of Montenegro | 2023 | 24 September 1987 | 36 years, 104 days |
| 4 | Gaetano Troina | Captain Regent of San Marino | 2023 | 14 February 1987 | 36 years, 326 days |
| 5 | Jakov Milatović | President of Montenegro | 2023 | 7 December 1986 | 37 years, 30 days |
| 6 | Gabriel Boric | President of Chile | 2022 | 11 February 1986 | 37 years, 329 days |
| 7 | Mohammed bin Salman | Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia | 2022 | 31 August 1985 | 38 years, 128 days |
| 8 | Mahamat Déby | Transitional President of Chad[8] | 2022 | 4 April 1984 | 39 years, 278 days |
| 9 | Succès Masra | Prime Minister of Chad | 2024 | 30 August 1983 | 40 years, 129 days |
| 10 | Kim Jong Un | Supreme Leader of North Korea[9] | 2011 | 8 January 1983[10] | 40 years, 363 days[10] |
Top ten since 1905
Currently in office
| Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Age when assuming office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuad II | King of Egypt | 1952 | 192 days |
| 2 | Puyi | Emperor of China | 1908 | 2 years, 299 days |
| 3 | Gyanendra | King of Nepal | 1950[11] | 3 years, 123 days |
| 4 | Faisal II | King of Iraq | 1939 | 3 years, 337 days |
| 5 | Michael I | King of Romania | 1927 | 5 years, 268 days |
| 6 | Simeon II | Tsar of Bulgaria | 1943 | 6 years, 73 days |
| 7 | Jigme Singye Wangchuck | King of Bhutan | 1972 | 16 years, 256 days |
| 8 | Hussein | King of Jordan | 1952 | 16 years, 271 days |
| 9 | Mswati III | King of Eswatini[12] | 1986 | 18 years, 6 days[13] |
| 10 | Bhumibol Adulyadej | King of Thailand | 1946 | 18 years, 186 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
| Rank | Name | Position | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guillermo Rodríguez | Acting President of Ecuador (1972–1976) | 4 November 1923 | 100 years, 63 days |
| 2 | Khamtai Siphandone | Prime Minister of Laos (1991–1998) | 8 February 1924 | 99 years, 332 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 | 99 years, 309 days |
| 4 | Jimmy Carter | President of the United States (1977–1981) | 1 October 1924 | 99 years, 97 days |
| 5 | Ali Hassan Mwinyi | President of Tanzania (1985–1995) | 8 May 1925 | 98 years, 243 days |
| National Chairman of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (1990–1992) | ||||
| 6 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981–2003; 2018–2020) | 10 July 1925 | 98 years, 180 days |
| 7 | Mohammad Hasan Sharq |
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan (1988–1989) | 17 July 1925 | 98 years, 173 days |
| 8 | Abdoulaye Wade | President of Senegal (2000–2012) | 29 May 1926 | 97 years, 222 days |
| 9 | Valdas Adamkus | President of Lithuania (1998–2003; 2004–2009) | 3 November 1926 | 97 years, 64 days |
| 10 | Raif Dizdarević | President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1988–1989) | 9 December 1926 | 97 years, 28 days |
Top ten since 1800
| Rank | Name | Position | Born | 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) | 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ The Kingdom of Denmark includes the autonomous territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Rakotomalala, Omega; Chothia, Farouk (3 October 2022). "Capt Ibrahim Traoré: Burkina Faso's new military ruler". Nairobi: BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ Previously President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad from 2021–2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ The country was called the Kingdom of Swaziland until 19 April 2018.
- ^ Began personal reign after a 3-year regency
This article includes a politicians-related list of lists.