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

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
1Paul BiyaPresident of Cameroon1982[1]13 February 193390 years, 335 days
2Mahmoud AbbasPresident of the Palestinian National Authority,
President of the State of Palestine
200515 November 193588 years, 60 days
3Salman bin Abdulaziz Al SaudKing of Saudi Arabia2015[2]31 December 193588 years, 14 days
4FrancisPope of the Holy See,
Sovereign of the Vatican City State
201317 December 193687 years, 28 days
5Harald VKing of Norway[3]199121 February 193786 years, 327 days
6Ali KhameneiSupreme Leader of Iran1989[4]19 April 193984 years, 270 days
7Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-SabahEmir of Kuwait202327 September 194083 years, 109 days
8Michael D. HigginsPresident of Ireland201118 April 194182 years, 271 days
9Sergio MattarellaPresident of Italy201523 July 194182 years, 175 days
10Hage GeingobPresident of Namibia2015[5]3 August 194182 years, 164 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
1Giovanni Paolo LascarisGrand Master of the Knights Hospitaller1657 (death)97 years, 47 days
2Abdul MominSultan of Brunei1885 (death)97 years, 8 days
3Elizabeth IIQueen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms[6]2022 (death)96 years, 140 days
4Hastings BandaPresident of Malawi1994 (presidency for life revoked, defeated in re-election)96 years, 98 days
President of the Malawi Congress Party
5Prem TinsulanondaRegent of Thailand2016 (term ended)96 years, 97 days
6George Tupou IKing of Tonga1893 (death)95 years, 76 days
7Mahathir MohamadPrime Minister of Malaysia2020 (resigned)94 years, 235 days
8Nicolò da PonteDoge of Venice1585 (death)94 years, 196 days
9Malietoa Tanumafili IIO le Ao o le Malo of Samoa2007 (death)94 years, 127 days
10Robert MugabePresident of Zimbabwe2017 (resigned)93 years, 273 days
First Secretary of ZANU–PF

Youngest serving state leaders

Top ten currently serving

Gabriel Attal, the youngest serving state leader
Rank Name Position Assumed office Born Age
1Gabriel AttalPrime Minister of France202416 March 198934 years, 304 days
2Ibrahim TraoréPresident of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso202214 March 1988[7]35 years, 306 days
Interim President of Burkina Faso2022
3Daniel NoboaPresident of Ecuador202330 November 198736 years, 45 days
4Milojko SpajićPrime Minister of Montenegro202324 September 198736 years, 112 days
5Gaetano TroinaCaptain Regent of San Marino202314 February 198736 years, 334 days
6Jakov MilatovićPresident of Montenegro20237 December 198637 years, 38 days
7Gabriel BoricPresident of Chile202211 February 198637 years, 337 days
8Mohammed bin SalmanPrime Minister of Saudi Arabia202231 August 198538 years, 136 days
9Mahamat DébyTransitional President of Chad[8]20224 April 198439 years, 286 days
10Succès MasraPrime Minister of Chad202430 August 198340 years, 137 days

Top ten since 1905

Mswati III, who at the start of his reign, was one of the youngest state leaders since 1905
  Currently in office
Rank Name Position Assumed office Age when assuming office
1Fuad IIKing of Egypt1952192 days
2PuyiEmperor of China19082 years, 299 days
3GyanendraKing of Nepal1950[9]3 years, 123 days
4Faisal IIKing of Iraq19393 years, 337 days
5Michael IKing of Romania19275 years, 268 days
6Simeon IITsar of Bulgaria19436 years, 73 days
7Jigme Singye WangchuckKing of Bhutan197216 years, 256 days
8HusseinKing of Jordan195216 years, 271 days
9Mswati IIIKing of Eswatini[10]198618 years, 6 days[11]
10Bhumibol AdulyadejKing of Thailand194618 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

Guillermo Rodríguez, the oldest-living state leader
Rank Name Position Born Age
1Guillermo RodríguezActing President of Ecuador (1972–1976)4 November 1923100 years, 71 days
2Khamtai SiphandonePrime Minister of Laos (1991–1998)8 February 192499 years, 340 days
Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1992–2006)
President of Laos (1998–2006)
3Tomiichi MurayamaPrime Minister of Japan (1994–1996)3 March 192499 years, 317 days
4Jimmy CarterPresident of the United States (1977–1981)1 October 192499 years, 105 days
5Ali Hassan MwinyiPresident of Tanzania (1985–1995)8 May 192598 years, 251 days
National Chairman of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (1990–1992)
6Mahathir MohamadPrime Minister of Malaysia (1981–2003; 2018–2020)10 July 192598 years, 188 days
7Mohammad Hasan
Sharq
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan (1988–1989)17 July 192598 years, 181 days
8Abdoulaye WadePresident of Senegal (2000–2012)29 May 192697 years, 230 days
9Valdas AdamkusPresident of Lithuania (1998–2003; 2004–2009)3 November 192697 years, 72 days
10Raif DizdarevićPresident of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1988–1989)9 December 192697 years, 36 days

Top ten since 1800

Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum, the longest-lived state leader
Rank Name Position Born Death Age
1Chau Sen Cocsal ChhumPrime Minister of Cambodia (1962)19052009103 years, 143 days
2Celâl BayarPrime Minister of Turkey (1937–1939)18831986103 years, 98 days
President of Turkey (1950–1960)
3Antoine PinayPrime Minister of France (1952–1953)18911994102 years, 348 days
4André Prunet-FochFrench Viguier in Andorra (1977–1980)19142017102 years, 211 days
5Prince Naruhiko HigashikuniPrime Minister of Japan (1945)18871990102 years, 48 days
6Babiker AwadallaPrime Minister of Sudan (1969)19172019101 years, 321 days
7Willem DreesPrime Minister of the Netherlands (1948–1958)18861988101 years, 314 days
8Đỗ MườiChairman of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam (1988–1991)19172018101 years, 241 days
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1991–1997)
9Zhang QunPremier of the Republic of China (1947–1948)18891990101 years, 219 days
10Yasuhiro NakasonePrime Minister of Japan (1982–1987)19182019101 years, 186 days

See also

Notes

  1. Previously served as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975–1982.
  2. Served concurrently as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015–2022.
  3. The Kingdom of Norway includes the dependent territory of Svalbard.
  4. Previously served as President of Iran from 1981–1989.
  5. Previously served as Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990–2002 and 2012–2015.
  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. Rakotomalala, Omega; Chothia, Farouk (3 October 2022). "Capt Ibrahim Traoré: Burkina Faso's new military ruler". Nairobi: BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  8. Previously President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad from 2021–2022.
  9. Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.
  10. The country was called the Kingdom of Swaziland until 19 April 2018.
  11. Began personal reign after a 3-year regency
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