List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by age

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This is a list of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by age. This table can be sorted to display prime ministers of the United Kingdom by name, order of office, date of birth, age at appointment, length of retirement, or lifespan. Age at appointment is determined by the day a prime minister assumed office for the first time. Length of retirement is determined from the day a prime minister leaves office for the final time until their death.

Contents

Two measures of longevity are given; this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each Prime Minister. The first figure is the number of days between date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; in parentheses the same period given in years and days, with the number of whole years that the Prime Minister had lived, and the days being the remaining number of days from their last birthday. Where the prime minister in question is still living, their longevity is measured up to 9 August 2019.

Overview

The median age upon accession to the premiership is 53 years and 87 days, which falls between Earl of Derby (23rd) and Margaret Thatcher (24th). The youngest Prime Minister to assume office was William Pitt the Younger (aged 24 years, 205 days). The youngest Prime Minister to leave office was Duke of Grafton (aged 34 years, 122 days). The oldest Prime Minister to assume office for the first time was Viscount Palmerston (aged 70 years, 109 days). If the next General Election is held after 12 September 2019 and his party wins the most seats therein, Jeremy Corbyn will surpass Palmerston as the oldest Prime Minister to assume the office for the first time. The oldest Prime Minister to be appointed overall was William Ewart Gladstone (aged 82 years, 230 days) when he was appointed for the fourth and final time on 15 August 1892. Gladstone was also the oldest Prime Minister to leave office (aged 84 years, 63 days) at his final retirement on 2 March 1894.

Median quantile

The median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample. For a data set, it may be thought of as the "middle" value. For example, in the data set {1, 3, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9}, the median is 6, the fourth largest, and also the fourth smallest, number in the sample. For a continuous probability distribution, the median is the value such that a number is equally likely to fall above or below it.

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby British Prime Minister

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, was a British statesman, three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and, to date, the longest-serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley. He is one of only four British prime ministers to have three or more separate periods in office. However, his ministries each lasted less than two years and totalled three years and 280 days.

Margaret Thatcher former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold that office. A Soviet journalist dubbed her "The 'Iron Lady'", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she implemented policies known as Thatcherism.

There are currently six living British prime ministers including incumbent Boris Johnson.

Boris Johnson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British politician, serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since July 2019. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Uxbridge and South Ruislip since 2015 and was previously MP for Henley from 2001 to 2008. He also served as Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016 and Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018. Johnson identifies as a one-nation conservative.

The oldest living former Prime Minister is John Major, born 29 March 1943 (aged 76 years, 133 days). Gordon Brown is the second oldest, 7 years and 328 days younger than Major. Brown was born on 20 February 1951 (aged 68 years, 170 days).

John Major Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Sir John Major is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. He served as Foreign Secretary and then Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Thatcher Government from 1989 to 1990, and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon from 1979 until his retirement in 2001. Since the death of Margaret Thatcher in 2013, Major has been both the oldest and earliest-serving of all living former Prime Ministers.

Gordon Brown Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

James Gordon Brown is a British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007. Brown was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015, first for Dunfermline East and later for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

The youngest living former Prime Minister is David Cameron, born 9 October 1966 (aged 52 years, 304 days). Theresa May is the second youngest, 10 years and 8 days older than Cameron. May was born on 1 October 1956 (aged 62 years, 312 days).

David Cameron Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

David William Donald Cameron is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Witney from 2001 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He identifies as a one-nation conservative, and has been associated with both economically liberal and socially liberal policies.

Theresa May Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Theresa Mary May is a British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. May served as Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016 and has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidenhead since 1997. Ideologically, she identifies herself as a one-nation conservative.

The longest-lived prime minister, James Callaghan, died on the eve of his 93rd birthday on 26 March 2005. Harold Macmillan was the second longest-lived, 42 days short of Callaghan. The oldest living prime minister, John Major, will tie Macmillan if he lives to 15 February 2036 and tie Callaghan if he lives to 28 March 2036. The second-oldest living prime minister, Gordon Brown, will tie Macmillan if he lives to 8 January 2044 and tie Callaghan if he lives to 19 February 2044. The shortest-lived prime minister, Duke of Devonshire, was 44 years and 147 days old when he died on 2 October 1764.

The prime minister with the longest retirement is Duke of Grafton, at 41 years and 45 days. He achieved this record on 1 January 1799, surpassing Earl of Bute, who died 28 years, 337 days after leaving office. Bute held the record for 7 years. The longest retirement any prime minister since Grafton has held is that of Henry Addington, who left office on 10 May 1804 and died 39 years and 281 days later on 15 February 1844. Of the five former prime ministers currently alive, John Major has been retired the longest, having left office on 2 May 1997. If he is still alive on 24 June 2038, he will surpass Grafton's record and become the longest-lived prime minister after office. The prime minister with the shortest retirement is Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who died only 15 days after leaving office.

Four British prime ministers have lived into their nineties. They are (in order of birth):

List of prime ministers

OO
Name
Born
Date of appointment (first)AgeEnd Service (final)AgePost–Premiership
Death
Lifespan
1 Robert Walpole 26 August 16763 April 172144 years, 220 days11 February 174265 years, 169 days3 years, 35 days18 March 174568 years, 204 days
(25,040 days)
2 Earl of Wilmington 167316 February 174268–69 years2 July 17432 July 1743a69–70 years
(25,577 days)
3 Henry Pelham 25 September 169427 August 174348 years, 336 days6 March 1754N/AN/A6 March 1754a59 years, 162 days
(21,711 days)
4 Duke of Newcastle 21 July 169316 March 175460 years, 238 days26 May 176268 years, 309 days6 years, 175 days17 November 176875 years, 119 days
(27,512 days)
5 Duke of Devonshire 8 May 172016 November 175636 years, 192 days29 June 175737 years, 52 days7 years, 95 days2 October 176444 years, 147 days
(16,218 days)
6 Earl of Bute 25 May 171326 May 176249 years, 1 day8 April 176349 years, 318 days28 years, 337 days10 March 179278 years, 290 days
(28,779 days)
7 George Grenville 14 October 171216 April 176350 years, 184 days10 July 176552 years, 269 days5 years, 126 days13 November 177058 years, 30 days
(21,214 days)
8 Marquess of Rockingham 13 May 173013 July 176535 years, 61 days1 July 1782N/AN/A1 July 1782a52 years, 49 days
(19,042 days)
9 William Pitt the Elder 15 November 170830 July 176657 years, 257 days14 October 176859 years, 334 days9 years, 209 days11 May 177869 years, 177 days
(25,379 days)
10 Duke of Grafton 28 September 173514 October 176833 years, 16 days28 January 177034 years, 122 days41 years, 45 days14 March 181175 years, 167 days
(27,560 days)
11 Lord North 13 April 173228 January 177037 years, 290 days27 March 178249 years, 348 days10 years, 131 days5 August 179260 years, 114 days
(22,029 days)
12 Earl of Shelburne 2 May 17374 July 178245 years, 63 days26 March 178345 years, 328 days22 years, 42 days7 May 180568 years, 5 days
(24,841 days)
13 Duke of Portland 14 April 17382 April 178344 years, 353 days4 October 180971 years, 173 days26 days30 October 180971 years, 199 days
(26,131 days)
14 William Pitt the Younger 28 May 175919 December 178324 years, 205 days23 January 1806N/AN/A23 January 1806a46 years, 240 days
(17,041 days)
15 Henry Addington 30 May 175717 March 180143 years, 291 days10 May 180446 years, 346 days39 years, 281 days15 February 184486 years, 261 days
(31,671 days)
16 William Grenville 25 October 175911 February 180646 years, 109 days25 March 180747 years, 151 days26 years, 293 days12 January 183474 years, 79 days
(27,107 days)
17 Spencer Perceval 1 November 17624 October 180946 years, 337 days11 May 1812N/AN/A11 May 1812a49 years, 192 days
(18,078 days)
18 Earl of Liverpool 7 June 17708 June 181242 years, 1 day9 April 182756 years, 306 days1 year, 239 days4 December 182858 years, 180 days
(21,364 days)
19 George Canning 11 April 177012 April 182757 years, 1 day8 August 1827N/AN/A8 August 1827a57 years, 119 days
(20,937 days)
20 Viscount Goderich 1 November 178231 August 182744 years, 303 days8 January 182845 years, 68 days31 years, 20 days28 January 185976 years, 88 days
(27,846 days)
21 Duke of Wellington 1 May 176922 January 182858 years, 266 days9 December 183465 years, 222 days17 years, 280 days14 September 185283 years, 136 days
(30,451 days)
22 Earl Grey 13 March 176422 November 183066 years, 254 days9 July 183470 years, 118 days11 years, 8 days17 July 184581 years, 126 days
(29,710 days)
23 Viscount Melbourne 15 March 177916 July 183455 years, 123 days30 August 184162 years, 168 days7 years, 86 days24 November 184869 years, 254 days
(25,456 days)
24 Robert Peel 5 February 178810 December 183446 years, 308 days29 June 184658 years, 144 days4 years, 3 days2 July 185062 years, 147 days
(22,792 days)
25 Lord John Russell 18 August 179230 June 184653 years, 316 days26 June 186673 years, 312 days11 years, 336 days28 May 187885 years, 283 days
(31,328 days)
26 Earl of Derby 29 March 179923 February 185252 years, 331 days25 February 186868 years, 333 days1 year, 240 days23 October 186970 years, 208 days
(25,775 days)
27 Earl of Aberdeen 28 January 178419 December 185268 years, 326 days30 January 185571 years, 2 days5 years, 319 days14 December 186076 years, 321 days
(28,079 days)
28 Viscount Palmerston 20 October 17846 February 185570 years, 109 days18 October 1865N/AN/A18 October 1865a80 years, 363 days
(29,582 days)
29 Benjamin Disraeli 21 December 180427 February 186863 years, 68 days21 April 188075 years, 122 days363 days19 April 188176 years, 119 days
(27,878 days)
30 William Ewart Gladstone 29 December 18093 December 186858 years, 340 days2 March 189484 years, 63 days4 years, 78 days19 May 189888 years, 141 days
(32,283 days)
31 Marquess of Salisbury 3 February 183023 June 188555 years, 140 days11 July 190272 years, 158 days1 year, 42 days22 August 190373 years, 200 days
(26,862 days)
32 Earl of Rosebery 7 May 18475 March 189446 years, 302 days22 June 189548 years, 46 days33 years, 333 days21 May 192982 years, 14 days
(29,964 days)
33 Arthur Balfour 25 July 184812 July 190253 years, 352 days4 December 190557 years, 132 days24 years, 105 days19 March 193081 years, 237 days
(34,204 days)
34 Henry Campbell-Bannerman 7 September 18365 December 190569 years, 89 days5 April 190871 years, 211 days17 days22 April 190871 years, 228 days
(26,159 days)
35 H. H. Asquith 12 September 18525 April 190855 years, 206 days5 December 191664 years, 84 days11 years, 72 days15 February 192875 years, 156 days
(27,548 days)
36 David Lloyd George 17 January 18636 December 191653 years, 324 days22 October 192259 years, 278 days22 years, 155 days26 March 194582 years, 68 days
(30,018 days)
37 Bonar Law 16 September 185823 October 192264 years, 37 days20 May 192364 years, 246 days163 days30 October 192365 years, 44 days
(23,784 days)
38 Stanley Baldwin 3 August 186722 May 192355 years, 292 days28 May 193769 years, 298 days10 years, 200 days14 December 194780 years, 133 days
(29,352 days)
39 Ramsay MacDonald 12 October 186622 January 192457 years, 102 days7 June 193568 years, 238 days2 years, 155 days9 November 193771 years, 28 days
(25,960 days)
40 Neville Chamberlain 18 March 186928 May 193768 years, 71 days10 May 194071 years, 53 days183 days9 November 194071 years, 236 days
(26,168 days)
41 Winston Churchill 30 November 187410 May 194065 years, 162 days5 April 195580 years, 126 days9 years, 294 days24 January 196590 years, 55 days
(32,927 days)
42 Clement Attlee 3 January 188326 July 194562 years, 204 days26 October 195168 years, 296 days15 years, 347 days8 October 196784 years, 278 days
(30,958 days)
43 Anthony Eden 12 June 18976 April 195557 years, 298 days9 January 195759 years, 211 days20 years, 5 days14 January 197779 years, 216 days
(29,070 days)
44 Harold Macmillan 10 February 189410 January 195762 years, 335 days18 October 196369 years, 250 days23 years, 72 days29 December 198692 years, 322 days
(33,924 days)
45 Alec Douglas-Home 2 July 190319 October 196360 years, 109 days16 October 196461 years, 106 days30 years, 358 days9 October 199592 years, 99 days
(33,702 days)
46 Harold Wilson 11 March 191616 October 196448 years, 219 days5 April 197660 years, 25 days19 years, 49 days24 May 199579 years, 74 days
(28,928 days)
47 Edward Heath 9 July 191619 June 197053 years, 345 days4 March 197457 years, 238 days31 years, 135 days17 July 200589 years, 8 days
(32,515 days)
48 James Callaghan 27 March 19125 April 197664 years, 9 days4 May 197967 years, 38 days25 years, 326 days26 March 200592 years, 364 days
(33,967 days)
49 Margaret Thatcher 13 October 19254 May 197953 years, 203 days28 November 199065 years, 46 days22 years, 131 days8 April 201387 years, 177 days
(31,954 days)
50 John Major 29 March 194328 November 199047 years, 244 days2 May 199754 years, 34 days22 years, 99 days76 years, 133 days
(27,892 days)
51 Tony Blair 6 May 19532 May 199743 years, 361 days27 June 200754 years, 52 days12 years, 43 days66 years, 95 days
(24,201 days)
52 Gordon Brown 20 February 195127 June 200756 years, 127 days11 May 201059 years, 80 days9 years, 90 days68 years, 170 days
(25,007 days)
53 David Cameron 9 October 196611 May 201043 years, 214 days13 July 201649 years, 278 days3 years, 27 days52 years, 304 days
(19,297 days)
54 Theresa May 1 October 195613 July 201659 years, 286 days24 July 201962 years, 296 days16 days62 years, 312 days
(22,957 days)
55 Boris Johnson 19 June 196424 July 201955 years, 35 daysIncumbentIncumbentIncumbent55 years, 51 days
(20,139 days)
OONameBornDate (first appointment)AgeEnd of ServiceAgePost–PremiershipDate of deathLifespan

Oldest living prime ministers of the United Kingdom

Not all prime ministers live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 49 deceased prime ministers, 30 eventually became the oldest of their lifetime, while 19 did not (including 4 of the 7 prime ministers who died in office, Earl of Wilmington, Henry Pelham, and Viscount Palmerston being the only exceptions). Henry Addington became the oldest living prime minister when Duke of Grafton died in 1811 and remained so until his death in 1844, for a record of almost 33 years. Edward Heath became the oldest living prime minister after the death of James Callaghan, but he survived Callaghan by only 113 days. On two occasions the oldest living prime minister lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a prime minister who was older. Robert Walpole lost this distinction when Earl of Wilmington was appointed, then a year later when Wilmington died in office Walpole regained it until his own death in 1745 for a total period of 22 years, and 207 days. Earl of Rosebery lost it when Henry Campbell-Bannerman was appointed, but regained it when Campbell-Bannerman died. Consequently, Rosebery too was the oldest living prime minister twice: first from 1903 to 1905 (after the death of Lord Salisbury), and a second time after Campbell-Bannerman's death in 1908 until his own death in 1929 for a total period of 23 years, and 134 days. Edward Heath was the oldest to acquire this distinction at age 89. Anthony Eden, who was 79 years and 216 days old when he died, was the oldest prime minister to die without also being the oldest prime minister. Harold Wilson who died on 24 May 1995 at 79 years and 74 days old, is the most recent prime minister to die without ever acquiring this distinction.

Prime MinisterTime as Oldest LivingAgeDuration (years, days)
Became OldestCeased (Death)StartEnd
Robert Walpole
later Earl of Orford 		3 April 172111 February 174244 years, 220 days65 years, 169 days20 years, 314 days
Earl of Wilmington 11 February 17422 July 174369701 year, 141 days
Earl of Orford 2 July 174318 March 174566 years, 310 days68 years, 204 days1 year, 259 days
Henry Pelham 18 March 17456 March 175450 years, 174 days59 years, 162 days8 years, 353 days
Duke of Newcastle 16 March 175417 November 176860 years, 238 days75 years, 119 days14 years, 246 days
Earl of Chatham 17 November 176811 May 177860 years, 2 days69 years, 177 days9 years, 175 days
Earl of Bute 11 May 177810 March 179264 years, 351 days78 years, 290 days13 years, 304 days
Lord North 10 March 17925 August 179259 years, 332 days60 years, 114 days148 days
Duke of Grafton 5 August 179214 March 181156 years, 312 days75 years, 167 days18 years, 221 days
Viscount Sidmouth 14 March 181115 February 184453 years, 288 days86 years, 261 days32 years, 338 days
Earl Grey 15 February 184417 July 184579 years, 339 days81 years, 126 days1 year, 152 days
Duke of Wellington 17 July 184514 September 185276 years, 77 days83 years, 136 days7 years, 59 days
Viscount Goderich 14 September 185228 January 185969 years, 318 days76 years, 88 days6 years, 136 days
Earl of Aberdeen 28 January 185914 December 186075 years, 0 days76 years, 321 days1 year, 321 days
Viscount Palmerston 14 December 186018 October 186576 years, 55 days80 years, 363 days4 years, 308 days
Earl Russell 18 October 186528 May 187873 years, 61 days85 years, 283 days12 years, 222 days
Earl of Beaconsfield 28 May 187819 April 188173 years, 158 days76 years, 119 days2 years, 326 days
William Ewart Gladstone 19 April 188119 May 189871 years, 111 days88 years, 141 days17 years, 30 days
Marquess of Salisbury 19 May 189822 August 190368 years, 105 days73 years, 200 days5 years, 95 days
Earl of Rosebery 22 August 19035 December 190556 years, 107 days58 years, 212 days2 years, 105 days
Henry Campbell-Bannerman 5 December 190522 April 190869 years, 89 days71 years, 228 days2 years, 139 days
Earl of Rosebery 22 April 190821 May 192960 years, 351 days82 years, 14 days21 years, 29 days
Earl of Balfour 21 May 192919 March 193080 years, 300 days81 years, 237 days302 days
Earl Lloyd George 19 March 193026 March 194567 years, 61 days82 years, 68 days15 years, 7 days
Earl Baldwin 26 March 194514 December 194777 years, 235 days80 years, 133 days2 years, 263 days
Winston Churchill 14 December 194724 January 196573 years, 14 days90 years, 55 days17 years, 41 days
Earl Attlee 24 January 19658 October 196782 years, 21 days84 years, 278 days2 years, 257 days
Earl of Stockton 8 October 196729 December 198673 years, 240 days92 years, 322 days19 years, 82 days
Baron Home
(pvev. Earl of Home)		29 December 19869 October 199583 years, 180 days92 years, 99 days8 years, 284 days
Baron Callaghan 9 October 199526 March 200583 years, 196 days92 years, 364 days9 years, 168 days
Edward Heath 26 March 200517 July 200588 years, 260 days89 years, 8 days113 days
Baroness Thatcher 17 July 20058 April 201379 years, 277 days87 years, 177 days7 years, 265 days
John Major 8 April 2013—70 years, 10 days—6 years, 123 days
Prime MinisterTime as Oldest LivingAgeDuration (years, days)

See also

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