Misplaced Pages

Lists of state leaders by age

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Since 1800, the youngest serving state leader has been 0-day-old Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (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 (1933-02-13)13 February 1933 91 years, 331 days
2 Mahmoud Abbas President of the Palestinian National Authority,
President of the State of Palestine
2005 (1935-11-15)15 November 1935 89 years, 55 days
3 Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud King of Saudi Arabia 2015 (1935-12-31)31 December 1935 89 years, 9 days
4 Francis Pope of the Holy See,
Sovereign of the Vatican City State
2013 (1936-12-17)17 December 1936 88 years, 23 days
5 Harald V King of Norway 1991 (1937-02-21)21 February 1937 87 years, 323 days
6 Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of Iran 1989 (1939-04-19)19 April 1939 85 years, 265 days
7 Muhammad Yunus Chief Adviser of Bangladesh 2024 (1940-06-28)28 June 1940 84 years, 195 days
8 Mishal I Emir of Kuwait 2023 (1940-09-27)27 September 1940 84 years, 104 days
9 Michael D. Higgins President of Ireland 2011 (1941-04-18)18 April 1941 83 years, 266 days
10 Sergio Mattarella President of Italy 2015 (1941-07-23)23 July 1941 83 years, 170 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 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 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

Kristrún Frostadóttir, the youngest serving state leader
Rank Name Position Assumed office Born Age
1 Kristrún Frostadóttir Prime Minister of Iceland 2024 12 May 1988 36 years, 242 days
2 Ibrahim Traoré President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso 2022 14 March 1988 36 years, 301 days
Interim President of Burkina Faso 2022
3 Daniel Noboa President of Ecuador 2023 30 November 1987 37 years, 40 days
4 Milojko Spajić Prime Minister of Montenegro 2023 24 September 1987 37 years, 107 days
5 Jakov Milatović President of Montenegro 2023 7 December 1986 38 years, 33 days
6 Simon Harris Taoiseach of Ireland 2024 17 October 1986 38 years, 84 days
7 Paetongtarn Shinawatra Prime Minister of Thailand 2024 21 August 1986 38 years, 141 days
8 Gabriel Boric President of Chile 2022 11 February 1986 38 years, 333 days
9 Mohammed bin Salman Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia 2022 31 August 1985 39 years, 131 days
10 Mahamat Déby President of Chad 2024 4 April 1984 40 years, 281 days

Top ten since 1800

     Currently living

Rank Name Position Assumed office Age when assuming office
1 Alfonso XIII King of Spain 1886 0 days
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 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

Guillermo Rodríguez, the oldest-living state leader
Main article: List of oldest living state leaders
Rank Name Position In office Born Age
1 Guillermo Rodríguez Acting President of Ecuador 1972–1976 (1923-11-04)4 November 1923 101 years, 66 days
2 Khamtai Siphandone Prime Minister of Laos 1991–1998 (1924-02-08)8 February 1924 100 years, 336 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, 312 days
4 Mahathir Mohamad Prime Minister of Malaysia 1981–2003; 2018–2020 (1925-07-10)10 July 1925 99 years, 183 days
5 Mohammad Hasan Sharq Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan 1988–1989 (1925-07-17)17 July 1925 99 years, 176 days
6 Abdoulaye Wade President of Senegal 2000–2012 (1926-05-29)29 May 1926 98 years, 225 days
7 Valdas Adamkus President of Lithuania 1998–2003; 2004–2009 (1926-11-03)3 November 1926 98 years, 67 days
8 Raif Dizdarević President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia 1988–1989 (1926-12-09)9 December 1926 98 years, 31 days
9 Thanin Kraivichien Prime Minister of Thailand 1976–1977 (1927-04-05)5 April 1927 97 years, 279 days
10 Kim Yong-nam Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea 1998–2019 (1928-02-04)4 February 1928 96 years, 340 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 Acting 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. ^ 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, and Transitional President of Chad from 2022–2024.
  9. Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.
Disambiguation iconThis article includes a politicians-related list of lists. Categories: