Lists of state leaders by age

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Since 1800, the youngest serving state leader was Alfonso XIII, who became King of Spain at the moment of his birth,[1] while the oldest was 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

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 State Position Assumed office Born Age
1Paul Biya CameroonPresident1982[2](1933-02-13)13 February 193393 years, 140 days
2Mahmoud Abbas PalestinePresident2005[3](1935-11-15)15 November 193590 years, 230 days
3Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud Saudi ArabiaKing2015[4](1935-12-31)31 December 193590 years, 184 days
4 Harald V NorwayKing[5]1991(1937-02-21)21 February 193789 years, 132 days
5Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové TogoPresident2025(1939-05-07)7 May 193987 years, 57 days
6Peter Mutharika MalawiPresident2025[6](1940-07-18)18 July 194085 years, 350 days
7Mishal Al-Sabah KuwaitEmir2023(1940-09-27)27 September 194085 years, 279 days
8Sergio Mattarella ItalyPresident2015(1941-07-23)23 July 194184 years, 345 days
9Alassane Ouattara Côte d'IvoirePresident2010[7](1942-01-01)1 January 194284 years, 183 days
10Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Equatorial GuineaPresident1982[8](1942-06-05)5 June 194284 years, 28 days

Top ten of all time

Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, the oldest serving state leader of all time whose age is fully verifiable
  Currently in office
  Currently living
Rank Name State Position Last year in office
(reason term ended)		 Age at end
1Giovanni Paolo Lascaris Malta1657 (death)97 years, 47 days
2 Elizabeth II United Kingdom
Other Commonwealth realms		Queen[9]2022 (death)96 years, 140 days
3Prem Tinsulanonda ThailandRegent2016 (tenure ended)96 years, 97 days
4 George Tupou I TongaKing1893 (death)95 years, 76 days
5 Mahathir Mohamad MalaysiaPrime Minister2020 (resigned)94 years, 235 days
6Nicolò da Ponte VeniceDoge of Venice1585 (death)94 years, 196 days
7 Malietoa Tanumafili II SamoaO le Ao o le Malo2007 (death)94 years, 127 days
8Robert Mugabe ZimbabwePresident2017 (resigned)93 years, 273 days
9Paul Biya CameroonPresidentIncumbent93 years, 140 days
10Beji Caid Essebsi TunisiaPresident2019 (death)92 years, 238 days

Youngest serving state leaders

Top ten currently serving

Balendra Shah, currently the youngest serving state leader
Rank Name State Position Assumed office Born Age
1Balendra Shah   NepalPrime Minister202627 April 199036 years, 67 days
2Kristrún Frostadóttir IcelandPrime Minister202412 May 198838 years, 52 days
3Ibrahim Traoré Burkina Faso202214 March 198838 years, 111 days
4Daniel Noboa EcuadorPresident202330 November 198738 years, 215 days
5Milojko Spajić MontenegroPrime Minister202324 September 198738 years, 282 days
6Alice Mina San MarinoCaptain Regent202622 April 198739 years, 72 days
7Rob Jetten NetherlandsPrime Minister202625 March 198739 years, 100 days
8Nyam-Osoryn Uchral MongoliaPrime Minister20262 January 198739 years, 182 days
9Jakov Milatović MontenegroPresident20237 December 198639 years, 208 days
10Laura Fernández Delgado Costa RicaPresident20264 July 198639 years, 364 days

Top ten since 1795

  Currently living
Rank Name State Position Assumed office Age when assuming office
1 Alfonso XIII SpainKing18860 days[1]
2 Sobhuza II SwazilandKing1899141 days
3Fuad II  EgyptKing1952192 days
4Girvan Yuddha  NepalKing17991 year, 140 days
5 Puyi ChinaEmperor19082 years, 299 days
6Rajendra  NepalKing18162 years, 353 days
7 Isabella II SpainQueen18332 years, 354 days
8Gyanendra    NepalKing1950[10]3 years, 123 days
9Guangxu  ChinaEmperor18753 years, 195 days
10Mwambutsa IV BurundiKing19153 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

Guillermo Rodríguez, the oldest living state leader
Rank Name State Position Born Age
1Guillermo Rodríguez EcuadorActing President (1972–1976)4 November 1923102 years, 241 days
2 Mahathir Mohamad MalaysiaPrime Minister (1981–2003; 2018–2020)10 July 1925100 years, 358 days
3Mohammad Hasan Sharq AfghanistanChairman of the Council of Ministers (1988–1989)17 July 1925100 years, 351 days
4Abdoulaye Wade SenegalPresident (2000–2012)29 May 1926100 years, 35 days
5Valdas Adamkus LithuaniaPresident (1998–2003; 2004–2009)3 November 192699 years, 242 days
6Raif Dizdarević YugoslaviaPresident of the Presidency (1988–1989)9 December 192699 years, 206 days
7Arthur Foulkes BahamasGovernor-General (2010–2014)11 May 192898 years, 53 days
8Péter Boross HungaryPrime Minister (1993–1994)27 August 192897 years, 310 days
9 Zhu Rongji ChinaPremier of the State Council (1998–2003)23 October 192897 years, 253 days
10Édouard Balladur FrancePrime Minister (1993–1995)2 May 192997 years, 62 days

Top ten since 1800

Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum, the longest-lived state leader
  Currently living
No. Name State Position Birth Death Age
1Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum CambodiaActing Prime Minister (1962)1 September 190522 January 2009103 years, 143 days
2Celâl Bayar Turkey
16 May 188322 August 1986103 years, 98 days
3Antoine Pinay FrancePrime Minister (1952–1953)30 December 189113 December 1994102 years, 348 days
4Guillermo Rodríguez EcuadorActing President (1972–1976)4 Nov 1923Alive102 years, 241 days
5André Prunet-Foch AndorraFrench Viguier (1977–1980)3 July 191430 January 2017102 years, 211 days
6Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni JapanPrime Minister (1945)3 December 188720 January 1990102 years, 48 days
7Babiker Awadalla SudanActing Prime Minister (1969)2 March 191717 January 2019101 years, 321 days
8Willem Drees NetherlandsPrime Minister (1948–1958)5 July 188614 May 1988101 years, 314 days
9 Đỗ Mười Vietnam2 February 19171 October 2018101 years, 241 days
10Tomiichi Murayama JapanPrime Minister (1994–1996)3 March 192417 October 2025101 years, 228 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. Previously served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority in 2003.
  4. Served concurrently as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015–2022.
  5. The Kingdom of Norway includes the dependent territory of Svalbard.
  6. Previously served as President of Malawi from 2014–2020.
  7. Previously served as Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from 1990–1993.
  8. Previously served as Chairman of the Supreme Military Council of Equatorial Guinea from 1979–1982.
  9. 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.
  10. Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.