Records of heads of state

Heads of state throughout the world and at all periods of history may be ranked according to characteristics such as length of time holding that position; age of accession or death; or physical attributes. World records in these characteristics may be identified, though the historical basis for such claims is frequently uncertain.

Period of service

Longest-reigning/serving

Main article: List of current state leaders by date of assumption of office

Monarch

• 
  Min Hti, the longest-reigning claimed monarch
• 
  Sobhuza II, the longest-reigning verifiable monarch
• 
  Louis XIV, the longest-reigning verifiable sovereign monarch
• 
  Arwa al-Sulayhi, the longest-reigning verifiable female monarch
• 
  Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning verifiable female sovereign monarch
• 
  Hassanal Bolkiah, the current longest-reigning monarch
• 
  Carl XVI Gustaf, the current longest-reigning sovereign monarch

Longest-reigning male monarch

Main article: List of longest-reigning monarchs

The longest undisputed reigning monarch is Sobhuza II, who ruled the Kingdom of Swaziland under the title of Paramount Chief of Swaziland and later King of Swaziland. He ruled for 82 years and 254 days. However, the longest undisputed reigning ruler of a sovereign state is Louis XIV, who ruled the Kingdom of France for 72 years, 3 months, and 18 days. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The distinction of longest-ruling monarch whose exact dates of rule are unknown is disputed between the following candidates:

• Min Hti of Arakan, who ruled the Kingdom of Arakan under the title of King of Arakan. He is believed to have ruled for either 95 (1279-1374) or 75 (1295-1370) years. ^[4]
• Pepi II Neferkare, who ruled the Kingdom of Egypt under the title of Pharaoh. He is believed to have ruled for either 94 (2278-2184 BC) or 64 (2278-2214 BC) years. ^[5]
• Taejodae of Goguryeo, who ruled Goguryeo under the title of Taewang ("The Greatest of all Kings"). He is believed to have ruled for either 93 (53-146) or 68 years (53-121). ^[6]
• Emperor Nintoku was believed to have ruled Japan for 86 years although his chronology is disputed. ^[7]
• Abd al-Muttalib who was the Lord of Quraysh in present-day Saudi Arabia reportedly reigned for 81 years. ^[8]
• Japanese legendary emperors, according to the ancient Japanese calendar, reigned for very long terms of 60–70 years each. The longest of these reigns was that of Emperor Kōan, who was claimed to have reigned for about 101 years. These figures are not included in the list because they are regarded as inaccurate by modern scholars. For those see Longevity myths. ^[7]

Longest-reigning female monarch

Main article: List of longest-reigning monarchs

The longest reigning claimed female monarch is Arwa al-Sulayhi, who reportedly ruled over the Sulayhid dynasty in present day Yemen for about 71 years between 1067 and 5 May 1138. Her state was a confederation of the Fatimid Caliphate. ^[9]

The longest reigning female monarch of a completely sovereign state is Elizabeth II, who was the Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. She was Queen of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, ^[a] for 70 years, from 6 February 1952 until her death aged 96 on 8 September 2022. ^[10]

Longest current reigning male monarch

Main article: List of current reigning monarchs by length of reign

The longest current reigning male monarch is Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei ("(he) who is Lord"), an absolute monarch of Brunei (which was a British protectorate until independence at the end of 1983). He acceded to the sultanate on 5 October 1967. ^[11]

The longest current reigning constitutional male monarch is Carl XVI Gustaf, who is the King of Sweden, a sovereign state throughout his reign which began on 15 September 1973. ^[12]

Longest current reigning female monarch

Main article: List of current reigning monarchs by length of reign

Currently there are no female reigning monarchs. This title was last held by Margrethe II of Denmark, who reigned for exactly 52 years, from 14 January 1972 until her abdication on 14 January 2024. ^[13]

Republic

• 
  Malietoa Tanumafili II, the longest-serving president ever
• 
  Fidel Castro, the longest-serving non-royal head of state ever in the 20th and 21st centuries
• 
  Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the longest-serving incumbent president
• 
  Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the longest serving female non-royal head of state

Longest-serving male president

The longest-serving male president ever was Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, who held the office of O le Ao o le Malo for a special lifetime term (in derogation from the normal term length of five years), for 45 years and 130 days overall; first alongside Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole from 1962 to 1963 and then as sole head of state from 1963 to 2007. However, despite the office of an O le Ao o le Malo being that of a president of a republic, Malietoa Tanumafili II was also one of Samoa's four paramount chiefs. ^{[14] [15]}

Longest-serving male non-royal head of state

The longest-serving non-royal head of state in the 20th and 21st centuries was Fidel Castro, who held the titles of First Secretary of the Integrated Revolutionary Organisations, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the United Party for the Socialist Revolution of Cuba, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and President of the Council of State and of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba. He served overall for 52 years, 2 months, and 3 days but was only head of state from 1976 to 2008 (31 years, 2 months and 22 days). ^[16]

Longest current serving male president

The longest current serving male president is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, who seized power in a coup in 1979. ^[17]

Longest-serving female non-royal head of state and president

Main article: List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government

The longest serving female non-royal head of state and longest serving female president ever was Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who was the President of Iceland. She served for 16 years (5844 days). ^[18]

Longest current serving female president

The longest undisputed current serving female president and head of state is Maia Sandu of Moldova, who was elected in 2020^{[ citation needed ]}. Salome Zourabichvili has served for longer as President of Georgia, as she was elected in 2018, but the office has been disputed between her and Mikheil Kavelashvili since the end of her term in 2024. ^[19]

Shortest serving

• 
  Louis XIX, the shortest serving monarch
• 
  Pedro Lascuráin, the shortest serving non-royal head of state
• 
  Rosalía Arteaga, the shortest serving female non-royal head of state

The shortest serving male monarch of all time is believed to be Louis XIX of France. After his father's abdication during the July Revolution on 2 August 1830, he ascended to the throne, but abdicated around 20 minutes later. ^[20] This reign is disputed, as some historians believe this reign is too short to be valid. ^[21] The next contender is the unnamed daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei who was appointed by her grandmother, Empress Dowager Hu. ^[22] She reigned for a matter of hours until being replaced by Yuan Zhao.

In more recent history, Dipendra was the undisputed King of Nepal for only around 56 hours in 2001, after perpetrating the massacre of his father the king and his family. ^[23] Pedro Carmona was the acting president of Venezuela for 36 hours in 2002 following a brief coup against Hugo Chavez. ^[24]

As part of a coup d'état, Mexican politician Pedro Lascuráin served as the 38th President of Mexico for a short period of time – for about 30 minutes – before he quit in order to make General Victoriano Huerta the next president. ^[25]

The shortest serving female president is Rosalía Arteaga who was President of Ecuador for just 2 days in 1997. ^[26]

Age

• 
  Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, the oldest verifiable head of state at the time of dying in office
• 
  Jean I, the shortest-lived monarch

Oldest

The oldest ruler, whose date of birth is known, is Giovanni Paolo Lascaris. He was Grand Master of the Order of Saint John until his death at the age of 97 years 47 days. ^[27] The oldest incumbent head of state is Paul Biya of Cameroon who is 92 years, 197 days. ^[28] The oldest ruler at the time of taking office is Prem Tinsulanonda, who became regent of Thailand at 96 years 97 days old and ruled for several months. ^[29] The oldest president at the time of taking office is Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi who became President of Tunisia at 88 years, 32 days. ^[30] The oldest monarch at the time of accession is Nang Keo Phimpha of Lan Xang (Laos) who started her reign at the age of about 95. ^[31] The oldest male monarchs at the time of accession is Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, who started his reign at 83 years, 96 days. ^[32]

Youngest

According to legends, the youngest ruler is Shapur II who was crowned in utero when a crown was placed on the belly of Hormizd II's wife after Hormizd II died. However, Alireza Shapour Shahbazi disputed the claim. ^[33] There have also been numerous other cases of posthumous monarchs, with the most recent being Bikramaditya Singh of the Rajgarh State within the British Raj on 18 December 1936. ^[34] In terms of sovereign states, it was Alfonso XIII of Spain on 17 May 1886. ^[35] The youngest non-royal ruler is Augustus who became consul at age of 19 years, 211 days. ^[36] The youngest President is Jean-Claude Duvalier who became President of Haiti at 19 years, 293 days. ^[37] The youngest female monarch is Mary, Queen of Scots, who became Queen of Scotland at six days old. ^[38] The youngest incumbent head of state is Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso who is 37 years, 168 days. ^[39]

Longest lived

The longest lived undisputed head of state is the President of Turkey Celâl Bayar who lived from 1883 to 1986, and died at 103 years old and 98 days. ^[40] The oldest undisputed monarch is Jean, who was Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000; he lived from 5 January 1921 until his death on 23 April 2019 at 98 years, 108 days. ^[41] The oldest living former head of state is Guillermo Rodríguez, who was Acting President of Ecuador ^[α] from 1972 to 1976. He is currently 101 years, 298 days. ^[42] The longest lived female head of state is Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, who was Chair of the Presidium of Tuva. She lived from 1 January 1912 to 4 November 2008 dying at 96 years, 308 days. ^[43] The current oldest living female former head of state is Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who served as President of Iceland and was born on 15 April 1930 and is currently 95 years, 136 days old. ^[44] The oldest female monarch is Elizabeth II, who was 96 years, 140 days old at the time of her death. ^[45]

Shortest lived

The shortest lived undisputed head of state is John I of France and Navarre who reigned and lived for four days in 1316. ^[46] The shortest lived undisputed president is Murtala Muhammed of Nigeria who died at the age of 37 years, 97 days. ^[47] The shortest lived female monarch is Margaret of Scotland who died at the age of 7. ^[48]

Ruling houses

Oldest

Officially, the current Emperor of Japan, Naruhito is the 126th in line from the first emperor, Jimmu, who is variously believed to have reigned in the 1st or 7th century BC. The earliest documented evidence is only for the 29th emperor, Kinmei (AD 509–571); however, this is sufficient such that even the most conservative of estimates still places the Japanese imperial family as among the oldest lines in the world today. ^[49]

Post-nominal numbers

The highest post-nominal number representing a member of a royal house is 75, used by Count Heinrich LXXV Reuss zu Schleiz (r. 1800–1801). All male members of the branch were named Heinrich, and were successively numbered from I upwards, from the beginning of each century. ^[50]

Physical attributes

• 
  Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, the heaviest head of state at the time of dying in office
• 
  Sancho VII of Navarre, the tallest verifiable ruler
• 
  Benito Juárez, the shortest head of state

Heaviest

The heaviest monarch is believed to have been Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga from 1965 to 2006, who at his peak in 1976 was measured as 208.7 kg (460 lb, or 32st 12lb), though he subsequently lost around 40% of his weight. ^[51]

Lightest

The U.S. President James Madison was thought to be only 55.33 kg (122 lb, or 8st 10lb) ^[52]

Tallest

The tallest height of a president is that of Filip Vujanović of Montenegro standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) tall.

One of the tallest rulers in history was Serb Dusan the Mighty who was King of Serbia (1331–1345) and later Tsar of Serbs, Greeks, and Bulgarians (1346–1355). He was 214 centimetres (7 ft 0 in) tall, in that time the average height was 165–170 centimetres (5 ft 5 in – 5 ft 7 in), so he searched all over Europe to find 101 men over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall to be part of his personal guard. ^[53]

On the other hand, Herodotus wrote in Histories (7:117) that "Xerxes was in stature the tallest of all the Persians, falling short by only four fingers of being five royal cubits in height." A royal cubit is assumed to be a bit more than 20 English inches (52 cm), which makes Xerxes almost 8 feet tall (2.43 m), though this is likely legendary. Sancho VII of Navarre was reported to be 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m).

Shortest

President Benito Juárez of Mexico was reportedly the shortest world leader, standing at 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m).

The shortest monarch is Queen Victoria of the British Empire, who was believed to be around 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m). ^[54] Two Egyptian pharaohs were also said to be very short, Cleopatra VII was said to be 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) and Amenhotep I is claimed to be the shortest male monarch at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m).

See also

• Lists of state leaders by age
• List of oldest living state leaders
• Records of prime ministers of Australia
• Records of prime ministers of Hungary
• Records of prime ministers of the United Kingdom

Notes

1. The other countries of which she was queen at the time of her death were not independent at the time of her accession.

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1. Also Head of Government