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

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Top ten currently serving

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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
1 Paul Biya Cameroon President 1982[2] (1933-02-13)13 February 1933 92 years, 255 days
2 Mahmoud Abbas Palestine President 2005[3] (1935-11-15)15 November 1935 89 years, 345 days
3 Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud Saudi Arabia King 2015[4] (1935-12-31)31 December 1935 89 years, 299 days
4 Harald V Norway King[5] 1991 (1937-02-21)21 February 1937 88 years, 247 days
5 Ali Khamenei Iran Supreme Leader 1989[6] (1939-04-19)19 April 1939 86 years, 190 days
6 Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové Togo President 2025 (1939-05-07)7 May 1939 86 years, 172 days
7 Muhammad Yunus Bangladesh Chief Adviser 2024 (1940-06-28)28 June 1940 85 years, 120 days
8 Peter Mutharika Malawi President 2025[7] (1940-07-18)18 July 1940 85 years, 100 days
9 Mishal Al-Sabah Kuwait Emir 2023 (1940-09-27)27 September 1940 85 years, 29 days
10 Michael D. Higgins Ireland President 2011 (1941-04-18)18 April 1941 84 years, 191 days

Top ten of all time

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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
1 Giovanni Paolo Lascaris  Malta 1657 (death) 97 years, 47 days
2 Elizabeth II United Kingdom and 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, 255 days
10 Beji Caid Essebsi Tunisia President 2019 (death) 92 years, 238 days

Youngest serving state leaders

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Top ten currently serving

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Kristrún Frostadóttir, currently the second-youngest serving state leader
Rank Name State Position Assumed office Born Age
1 Lorenzo Bugli San Marino Captain Regent 2025 20 February 1995 30 years, 248 days
2 Kristrún Frostadóttir Iceland Prime Minister 2024 12 May 1988 37 years, 167 days
3 Ibrahim Traoré Burkina Faso 2022 14 March 1988 37 years, 226 days
4 Daniel Noboa Ecuador President 2023 30 November 1987 37 years, 330 days
5 Milojko Spajić Montenegro Prime Minister 2023 24 September 1987 38 years, 32 days
6 Jakov Milatović President 7 December 1986 38 years, 323 days
7 José Jerí Peru President 2025 13 November 1986 38 years, 347 days
8 Matteo Rossi  San Marino Captain Regent 2025 9 July 1986 39 years, 109 days
9 Sébastien Lecornu France Prime Minister 2025 11 June 1986 39 years, 137 days
10 Gabriel Boric Chile President 2022 11 February 1986 39 years, 257 days

Top ten since 1795

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  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

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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

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Guillermo Rodríguez, the oldest living state leader
Rank Name State Position Born Age
1 Guillermo Rodríguez Ecuador Acting President (1972–1976) 4 Nov 1923 101 years, 356 days
2 Mahathir Mohamad Malaysia Prime Minister (1981–2003; 2018–2020) 10 Jul 1925 100 years, 108 days
3 Mohammad Hasan Sharq  Afghanistan Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1988–1989) 17 Jul 1925 100 years, 101 days
4 Abdoulaye Wade Senegal President (2000–2012) 29 May 1926 99 years, 150 days
5 Valdas Adamkus Lithuania President (1998–2003; 2004–2009) 3 Nov 1926 98 years, 357 days
6 Raif Dizdarević  Yugoslavia President of the Presidency (1988–1989) 9 Dec 1926 98 years, 321 days
7 Kim Yong-nam North Korea Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (1998–2019) 4 Feb 1928 97 years, 264 days
8 Arthur Foulkes Bahamas Governor-General (2010–2014) 11 May 1928 97 years, 168 days
9 Péter Boross Hungary Prime Minister (1993–1994) 27 Aug 1928 97 years, 60 days
10 Zhu Rongji China Premier of the State Council (1998–2003) 23 Oct 1928 97 years, 3 days

Top ten since 1800

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Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum, the longest-lived state leader
  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 Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni  Japan Prime Minister (1945) 1887 1990 102 years, 48 days
6 Guillermo Rodríguez Ecuador Acting President (1972–1976) 1923 Alive 101 years, 356 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

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year.
  2. ^ Previously served as Prime Minister 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 from 1981–1989.
  7. ^ Previously served as President from 2014–2020.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.