This article contains various lists of state leaders organized by age, defined as heads of state and/or heads of government.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Biya | President of Cameroon | 1982 [2] | 13 February 1933 | 91 years, 103 days |
2 | Mahmoud Abbas | President of the Palestinian National Authority, President of the State of Palestine | 2005 | 15 November 1935 | 88 years, 193 days |
3 | Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | King of Saudi Arabia | 2015 [3] | 31 December 1935 | 88 years, 147 days |
4 | Francis | Pope of the Holy See, Sovereign of the Vatican City State | 2013 | 17 December 1936 | 87 years, 161 days |
5 | Harald V | King of Norway [4] | 1991 | 21 February 1937 | 87 years, 95 days |
6 | Ali Khamenei | Supreme Leader of Iran | 1989 [5] | 19 April 1939 | 85 years, 37 days |
7 | Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Emir of Kuwait | 2023 | 27 September 1940 | 83 years, 242 days |
8 | Michael D. Higgins | President of Ireland | 2011 | 18 April 1941 | 83 years, 38 days |
9 | Sergio Mattarella | President of Italy | 2015 | 23 July 1941 | 82 years, 308 days |
10 | Nangolo Mbumba | President of Namibia | 2024 | 15 August 1941 | 82 years, 285 days |
Rank | Name | Position | Last year in office (reason term ended) | Age at end |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Giovanni Paolo Lascaris | Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller | 1657 (death) | 97 years, 47 days |
Ruler of Malta | ||||
2 | Elizabeth II | Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms [6] | 2022 (death) | 96 years, 140 days |
3 | Prem Tinsulanonda | Regent of Thailand | 2016 (tenure ended) | 96 years, 97 days |
4 | George Tupou I | King of Tonga | 1893 (death) | 95 years, 76 days |
5 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | 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 of Samoa | 2007 (death) | 94 years, 127 days |
8 | Robert Mugabe | President of Zimbabwe | 2017 (resigned) | 93 years, 273 days |
9 | Leo XIII | Pope of the Holy See [7] | 1903 (death) | 93 years, 140 days |
10 | Beji Caid Essebsi | President of Tunisia | 2019 (death) | 92 years, 238 days |
Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Born | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gabriel Attal | Prime Minister of France | 2024 | 16 March 1989 | 35 years, 71 days |
2 | Ibrahim Traoré | President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso | 2022 | 14 March 1988 | 36 years, 73 days |
Interim President of Burkina Faso | 2022 | ||||
3 | Daniel Noboa | President of Ecuador | 2023 | 30 November 1987 | 36 years, 178 days |
4 | Milojko Spajić | Prime Minister of Montenegro | 2023 | 24 September 1987 | 36 years, 245 days |
5 | Jakov Milatović | President of Montenegro | 2023 | 7 December 1986 | 37 years, 171 days |
6 | Simon Harris | Taoiseach of Ireland | 2024 | 17 October 1986 | 37 years, 222 days |
7 | Gabriel Boric | President of Chile | 2022 | 11 February 1986 | 38 years, 105 days |
8 | Mohammed bin Salman | Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia | 2022 | 31 August 1985 | 38 years, 269 days |
9 | Mahamat Déby | President of Chad [8] | 2024 | 4 April 1984 | 40 years, 53 days |
10 | Kim Jong Un | Supreme Leader of North Korea [9] | 2011 | 8 January 1983 [10] | 41 years, 139 days [10] |
Currently living
Rank | Name | Position | Assumed office | Age when assuming office |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alfonso XIII | King of Spain | 1886 | 0 days [1] |
2 | Sobhuza II | King of Swaziland | 1899 | 141 days |
3 | Fuad II | King of Egypt | 1952 | 192 days |
4 | Puyi | Emperor of China | 1908 | 2 years, 299 days |
5 | Rajendra Bikram Shah | King of Nepal | 1816 | 2 years, 353 days |
6 | Isabella II | Queen of Spain | 1833 | 2 years, 354 days |
7 | Gyanendra | King of Nepal | 1950 [11] | 3 years, 123 days |
8 | Guangxu | Emperor of China | 1875 | 3 years, 195 days |
9 | Faisal II | King of Iraq | 1939 | 3 years, 337 days |
10 | Pedro II | Emperor of Brazil | 1831 | 5 years, 126 days |
The following lists show the oldest people who have served office as state leader (not limited to their age while in office).
Rank | Name | Position | In office | Born | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Guillermo Rodríguez | Acting President of Ecuador | 1972–1976 | 4 November 1923 | 100 years, 204 days |
2 | Khamtai Siphandone | Prime Minister of Laos | 1991–1998 | 8 February 1924 | 100 years, 108 days |
Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party | 1992–2006 | ||||
President of Laos | 1998–2006 | ||||
3 | Tomiichi Murayama | Prime Minister of Japan | 1994–1996 | 3 March 1924 | 100 years, 84 days |
4 | Jimmy Carter | President of the United States | 1977–1981 | 1 October 1924 | 99 years, 238 days |
5 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | 1981–2003; 2018–2020 | 10 July 1925 | 98 years, 321 days |
6 | Mohammad Hasan Sharq | Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan | 1988–1989 | 17 July 1925 | 98 years, 314 days |
7 | Abdoulaye Wade | President of Senegal | 2000–2012 | 29 May 1926 | 97 years, 363 days |
8 | Valdas Adamkus | President of Lithuania | 1998–2003; 2004–2009 | 3 November 1926 | 97 years, 205 days |
9 | Raif Dizdarević | President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia | 1988–1989 | 9 December 1926 | 97 years, 169 days |
10 | Thanin Kraivichien | Prime Minister of Thailand | 1976–1977 | 5 April 1927 | 97 years, 51 days |
Rank | Name | Position | Born | Died | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum | Prime Minister of Cambodia (1962) | 1905 | 2009 | 103 years, 143 days |
2 | Celâl Bayar | Prime Minister of Turkey (1937–1939) | 1883 | 1986 | 103 years, 98 days |
President of Turkey (1950–1960) | |||||
3 | Antoine Pinay | Prime Minister of France (1952–1953) | 1891 | 1994 | 102 years, 348 days |
4 | André Prunet-Foch | French Viguier in Andorra (1977–1980) | 1914 | 2017 | 102 years, 211 days |
5 | Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni | Prime Minister of Japan (1945) | 1887 | 1990 | 102 years, 48 days |
6 | Babiker Awadalla | Prime Minister of Sudan (1969) | 1917 | 2019 | 101 years, 321 days |
7 | Willem Drees | Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1948–1958) | 1886 | 1988 | 101 years, 314 days |
8 | Đỗ Mười | Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam (1988–1991) | 1917 | 2018 | 101 years, 241 days |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1991–1997) | |||||
9 | Zhang Qun | Premier of the Republic of China (1947–1948) | 1889 | 1990 | 101 years, 219 days |
10 | Yasuhiro Nakasone | Prime Minister of Japan (1982–1987) | 1918 | 2019 | 101 years, 186 days |
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state. The specific naming of the head of state depends on the country's form of government and separation of powers; the head of state may be a ceremonial figurehead or concurrently the head of government and more.
These are lists of incumbents, including heads of states or of subnational entities.
A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host, it is generally called a state reception. State visits are considered to be the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between two sovereign states, and are in general characterised by an emphasis on official public ceremonies.
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