Lists of state leaders by age
Appearance
Since 1800, the youngest serving state leader has been 0-day-old Alfonso XIII, King of Spain,[1] while the oldest has been 96-year-old Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
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
[edit]Top ten currently serving
[edit]
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 | State | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Biya | ![]() |
President | 1982[2] | 13 February 1933 | 92 years, 188 days |
2 | Mahmoud Abbas | ![]() |
2005[3] | 15 November 1935 | 89 years, 278 days | |
3 | Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud | ![]() |
King | 2015[4] | 31 December 1935 | 89 years, 232 days |
4 | Harald V | ![]() |
King[5] | 1991 | 21 February 1937 | 88 years, 180 days |
5 | Ali Khamenei | ![]() |
Supreme Leader | 1989[6] | 19 April 1939 | 86 years, 123 days |
6 | Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové | ![]() |
President | 2025 | 7 May 1939 | 86 years, 105 days |
7 | Muhammad Yunus | ![]() |
Chief Adviser | 2024 | 28 June 1940 | 85 years, 53 days |
8 | Mishal I | ![]() |
Emir | 2023 | 27 September 1940 | 84 years, 327 days |
9 | Michael D. Higgins | ![]() |
President | 2011 | 18 April 1941 | 84 years, 124 days |
10 | Sergio Mattarella | ![]() |
President | 2015 | 23 July 1941 | 84 years, 28 days |
Top ten of all time
[edit]
Currently in office
Currently living
Rank | Name | State | Position | Last year in office (reason term ended) |
Age at end |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Giovanni Paolo Lascaris | ![]() |
1657 (death) | 97 years, 47 days | |
2 | Elizabeth II | ![]() |
Queen and other Commonwealth realms[7] | 2022 (death) | 96 years, 140 days |
3 | Prem Tinsulanonda | ![]() |
Regent | 2016 (tenure ended) | 96 years, 97 days |
4 | George Tupou I | ![]() |
King | 1893 (death) | 95 years, 76 days |
5 | Mahathir Mohamad | ![]() |
Prime Minister | 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 | 2007 (death) | 94 years, 127 days |
8 | Robert Mugabe | ![]() |
President | 2017 (resigned) | 93 years, 279 days |
9 | Beji Caid Essebsi | ![]() |
President | 2019 (death) | 92 years, 238 days |
10 | Paul Biya | ![]() |
President | Incumbent | 92 years, 188 days |
Youngest serving state leaders
[edit]Top ten currently serving
[edit]
Rank | Name | State | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kristrún Frostadóttir | ![]() |
Prime Minister | 2024 | 12 May 1988 | 37 years, 100 days |
2 | Ibrahim Traoré | ![]() |
2022 | 14 March 1988 | 37 years, 159 days | |
3 | Daniel Noboa | ![]() |
President | 2023 | 30 November 1987 | 37 years, 263 days |
4 | Milojko Spajić | ![]() |
Prime Minister | 2023 | 24 September 1987 | 37 years, 330 days |
5 | Jakov Milatović | ![]() |
President | 2023 | 7 December 1986 | 38 years, 256 days |
6 | Gabriel Boric | ![]() |
President | 2022 | 11 February 1986 | 39 years, 190 days |
7 | Yulia Svyrydenko | ![]() |
Prime Minister | 2025 | 25 December 1985 | 39 years, 238 days |
8 | Mohammed bin Salman | ![]() |
Prime Minister | 2022 | 31 August 1985 | 39 years, 354 days |
9 | Mahamat Déby | ![]() |
President[8] | 2024 | 4 April 1984 | 41 years, 139 days |
10 | Assimi Goïta | ![]() |
President[9] | 2025 | 9 November 1983 | 41 years, 284 days |
Top ten since 1800
[edit] Currently living
Rank | Name | State | Position | Assumed office | Age when assuming office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alfonso XIII | ![]() |
King | 1886 | 0 days[1] |
2 | Sobhuza II | ![]() |
King | 1899 | 141 days |
3 | Fuad II | ![]() |
King | 1952 | 192 days |
4 | Puyi | ![]() |
Emperor | 1908 | 2 years, 299 days |
5 | Rajendra | ![]() |
King | 1816 | 2 years, 353 days |
6 | Isabella II | ![]() |
Queen | 1833 | 2 years, 354 days |
7 | Gyanendra | ![]() |
King | 1950[10] | 3 years, 123 days |
8 | Guangxu | ![]() |
Emperor | 1875 | 3 years, 195 days |
9 | Faisal II | ![]() |
King | 1939 | 3 years, 337 days |
10 | Pedro II | ![]() |
Emperor | 1831 | 5 years, 126 days |
Oldest state leaders
[edit]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
[edit]
Rank | Name | State | Position | Born | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Guillermo Rodríguez | ![]() |
Acting President (1972–1976) | 4 Nov 1923 | 101 years, 289 days |
2 | Tomiichi Murayama | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1994–1996) | 3 Mar 1924 | 101 years, 170 days |
3 | Mahathir Mohamad | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1981–2003; 2018–2020) | 7 Jul 1925 | 100 years, 41 days |
4 | Mohammad Hasan Sharq | ![]() |
Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1988–1989) | 17 Jul 1925 | 100 years, 34 days |
5 | Abdoulaye Wade | ![]() |
President (2000–2012) | 29 May 1926 | 99 years, 83 days |
6 | Valdas Adamkus | ![]() |
President (1998–2003; 2004–2009) | 3 Nov 1926 | 98 years, 290 days |
7 | Raif Dizdarević | ![]() |
President of the Presidency (1988–1989) | 9 Dec 1926 | 98 years, 254 days |
8 | Kim Yong-nam | ![]() |
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (1998–2019) | 4 Feb 1928 | 97 years, 197 days |
9 | Arthur Foulkes | ![]() |
Governor-General (2010–2014) | 11 May 1928 | 97 years, 101 days |
10 | Péter Boross | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1993–1994) | 27 Aug 1928 | 96 years, 358 days |
Top ten since 1800
[edit]
Currently living
Rank | Name | State | Position | Born | Died | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum | ![]() |
Acting Prime Minister (1962) | 1905 | 2009 | 103 years, 143 days |
2 | Celâl Bayar | ![]() |
|
1883 | 1986 | 103 years, 98 days |
3 | Antoine Pinay | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1952–1953) | 1891 | 1994 | 102 years, 348 days |
4 | André Prunet-Foch | ![]() |
French Viguier (1977–1980) | 1914 | 2017 | 102 years, 211 days |
5 | Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1945) | 1887 | 1990 | 102 years, 48 days |
6 | Babiker Awadalla | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1969) | 1917 | 2019 | 101 years, 321 days |
7 | Willem Drees | ![]() |
Prime Minister (1948–1958) | 1886 | 1988 | 101 years, 314 days |
8 | Guillermo Rodríguez | ![]() |
Acting President (1972–1976) | 1923 | Alive | 101 years, 289 days |
9 | Đỗ Mười | ![]() |
|
1917 | 2018 | 101 years, 241 days |
10 | Zhang Qun | ![]() |
Premier (1947–1948) | 1889 | 1990 | 101 years, 219 days |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year.
- ^ Previously served as Prime Minister from 1975–1982.
- ^ Previously served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority in 2003.
- ^ 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 from 1981–1989.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Previously President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad from 2021–2022, and Transitional President of Chad from 2022–2024.
- ^ Previously Chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People of Mali in 2020 and 2021, and Interim President of Mali from 2021–2025.
- ^ Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.