Lists of state leaders by age
Since 1800, the youngest serving state leader has been 0-days-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
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 | State | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Biya | Cameroon | President | 1982[2] | 13 February 1933 | 92 years, 314 days |
| 2 | Mahmoud Abbas | Palestine | President | 2005[3] | 15 November 1935 | 90 years, 39 days |
| 3 | Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud | Saudi Arabia | King | 2015[4] | 31 December 1935 | 89 years, 358 days |
| 4 | Harald V | Norway | King[5] | 1991 | 21 February 1937 | 88 years, 306 days |
| 5 | Ali Khamenei | Iran | Supreme Leader | 1989[6] | 19 April 1939 | 86 years, 249 days |
| 6 | Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové | Togo | President | 2025 | 7 May 1939 | 86 years, 231 days |
| 7 | Muhammad Yunus | Bangladesh | Chief Adviser | 2024 | 28 June 1940 | 85 years, 179 days |
| 8 | Peter Mutharika | Malawi | President | 2025[7] | 18 July 1940 | 85 years, 159 days |
| 9 | Mishal Al-Sabah | Kuwait | Emir | 2023 | 27 September 1940 | 85 years, 88 days |
| 10 | Sergio Mattarella | Italy | President | 2015 | 23 July 1941 | 84 years, 154 days |
Top ten of all time
Currently in office
Currently living
| Rank | Name | State | Position | Last year in office (reason term ended) |
Age at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giovanni Paolo Lascaris | Malta | 1657 (death) | 97 years, 47 days | |
| 2 | Elizabeth II | United Kingdom Other Commonwealth realms |
Queen[8] | 2022 (death) | 96 years, 140 days |
| 3 | Prem Tinsulanonda | Thailand | Regent | 2016 (tenure ended) | 96 years, 97 days |
| 4 | George Tupou I | Tonga | King | 1893 (death) | 95 years, 76 days |
| 5 | Mahathir Mohamad | Malaysia | Prime Minister | 2020 (resigned) | 94 years, 235 days |
| 6 | Nicolò da Ponte | Venice | Doge of Venice | 1585 (death) | 94 years, 196 days |
| 7 | Malietoa Tanumafili II | Samoa | O le Ao o le Malo | 2007 (death) | 94 years, 127 days |
| 8 | Robert Mugabe | Zimbabwe | President | 2017 (resigned) | 93 years, 273 days |
| 9 | Paul Biya | Cameroon | President | Incumbent | 92 years, 314 days |
| 10 | Beji Caid Essebsi | Tunisia | President | 2019 (death) | 92 years, 238 days |
Youngest serving state leaders
Top ten currently serving
| Rank | Name | State | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorenzo Bugli | San Marino | Captain Regent | 2025 | 20 February 1995 | 30 years, 307 days |
| 2 | Kristrún Frostadóttir | Iceland | Prime Minister | 2024 | 12 May 1988 | 37 years, 226 days |
| 3 | Ibrahim Traoré | Burkina Faso | 2022 | 14 March 1988 | 37 years, 285 days | |
| 4 | Daniel Noboa | Ecuador | President | 2023 | 30 November 1987 | 38 years, 24 days |
| 5 | Milojko Spajić | Montenegro | Prime Minister | 2023 | 24 September 1987 | 38 years, 91 days |
| 6 | Jakov Milatović | President | 2023 | 7 December 1986 | 39 years, 17 days | |
| 7 | José Jerí | Peru | President | 2025 | 13 November 1986 | 39 years, 41 days |
| 8 | Matteo Rossi | San Marino | Captain Regent | 2025 | 9 July 1986 | 39 years, 168 days |
| 9 | Sébastien Lecornu | France | Prime Minister | 2025 | 11 June 1986 | 39 years, 196 days |
| 10 | Gabriel Boric | Chile | President | 2022 | 11 February 1986 | 39 years, 316 days |
Top ten since 1795
Currently living
| Rank | Name | State | Position | Assumed office | Age when assuming office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfonso XIII | Spain | King | 1886 | 0 days[1] |
| 2 | Sobhuza II | Swaziland | King | 1899 | 141 days |
| 3 | Fuad II | Egypt | King | 1952 | 192 days |
| 4 | Girvan Yuddha | Nepal | King | 1799 | 1 year, 140 days |
| 5 | Puyi | China | Emperor | 1908 | 2 years, 299 days |
| 6 | Rajendra | Nepal | King | 1816 | 2 years, 353 days |
| 7 | Isabella II | Spain | Queen | 1833 | 2 years, 354 days |
| 8 | Gyanendra | Nepal | King | 1950[9] | 3 years, 123 days |
| 9 | Guangxu | China | Emperor | 1875 | 3 years, 195 days |
| 10 | Mwambutsa IV | Burundi | King | 1915 | 3 years, 224 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 | State | Position | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guillermo Rodríguez | Ecuador | Acting President (1972–1976) | 4 November 1923 | 102 years, 50 days |
| 2 | Mahathir Mohamad | Malaysia | Prime Minister (1981–2003; 2018–2020) | 10 July 1925 | 100 years, 167 days |
| 3 | Mohammad Hasan Sharq | Afghanistan | Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1988–1989) | 17 July 1925 | 100 years, 160 days |
| 4 | Abdoulaye Wade | Senegal | President (2000–2012) | 29 May 1926 | 99 years, 209 days |
| 5 | Valdas Adamkus | Lithuania | President (1998–2003; 2004–2009) | 3 November 1926 | 99 years, 51 days |
| 6 | Raif Dizdarević | Yugoslavia | President of the Presidency (1988–1989) | 9 December 1926 | 99 years, 15 days |
| 7 | Arthur Foulkes | Bahamas | Governor-General (2010–2014) | 11 May 1928 | 97 years, 227 days |
| 8 | Péter Boross | Hungary | Prime Minister (1993–1994) | 27 August 1928 | 97 years, 119 days |
| 9 | Zhu Rongji | China | Premier of the State Council (1998–2003) | 23 October 1928 | 97 years, 62 days |
| 10 | Édouard Balladur | France | Prime Minister (1993–1995) | 2 May 1929 | 96 years, 236 days |
Top ten since 1800
Currently living
| Rank | Name | State | Position | Born | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum | Cambodia | Acting Prime Minister (1962) | 1905 | 2009 | 103 years, 143 days |
| 2 | Celâl Bayar | Turkey |
|
1883 | 1986 | 103 years, 98 days |
| 3 | Antoine Pinay | France | Prime Minister (1952–1953) | 1891 | 1994 | 102 years, 348 days |
| 4 | André Prunet-Foch | Andorra | French Viguier (1977–1980) | 1914 | 2017 | 102 years, 211 days |
| 5 | Guillermo Rodríguez | Ecuador | Acting President (1972–1976) | 1923 | Alive | 102 years, 50 days |
| 6 | Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni | Japan | Prime Minister (1945) | 1887 | 1990 | 102 years, 48 days |
| 7 | Babiker Awadalla | Sudan | Prime Minister (1969) | 1917 | 2019 | 101 years, 321 days |
| 8 | Willem Drees | Netherlands | Prime Minister (1948–1958) | 1886 | 1988 | 101 years, 314 days |
| 9 | Đỗ Mười | Vietnam |
|
1917 | 2018 | 101 years, 241 days |
| 10 | Tomiichi Murayama | Japan | Prime Minister (1994–1996) | 1924 | 2025 | 101 years, 228 days |
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year.
- ^ Previously served as Prime Minister of Cameroon 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 of Iran from 1981–1989.
- ^ Previously served as President of Malawi from 2014–2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.