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Lists of state leaders by age

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Since 1800, the youngest serving state leader has been 0-day-old Alfonso XIII, King of Spain[1] (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

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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
1Paul Biya CameroonPresident1982[2]13 February 193392 years, 254 days
2Mahmoud Abbas Palestine2005[3]15 November 193589 years, 344 days
3Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud  Saudi ArabiaKing2015[4]31 December 193589 years, 298 days
4 Harald V NorwayKing[5]199121 February 193788 years, 246 days
5Ali Khamenei IranSupreme Leader1989[6]19 April 193986 years, 189 days
6Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové TogoPresident20257 May 193986 years, 171 days
7Muhammad Yunus BangladeshChief Adviser202428 June 194085 years, 119 days
8Mishal I  KuwaitEmir202327 September 194085 years, 28 days
9Michael D. Higgins IrelandPresident201118 April 194184 years, 190 days
10Sergio Mattarella ItalyPresident201523 July 194184 years, 94 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
1Giovanni Paolo Lascaris Malta1657 (death)97 years, 47 days
2 Elizabeth II United KingdomQueen and other Commonwealth realms[7]2022 (death)96 years, 140 days
3Prem Tinsulanonda ThailandRegent2016 (tenure ended)96 years, 97 days
4 George Tupou I TongaKing1893 (death)95 years, 76 days
5 Mahathir Mohamad MalaysiaPrime Minister2020 (resigned)94 years, 235 days
6Nicolò da Ponte VeniceDoge of Venice1585 (death)94 years, 196 days
7 Malietoa Tanumafili II SamoaO le Ao o le Malo2007 (death)94 years, 127 days
8Robert Mugabe ZimbabwePresident2017 (resigned)93 years, 279 days
9Beji Caid Essebsi TunisiaPresident2019 (death)92 years, 238 days
10Paul Biya CameroonPresidentIncumbent92 years, 254 days

Youngest serving state leaders

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Top ten currently serving

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Kristrún Frostadóttir, the youngest serving state leader
Rank Name State Position Assumed office Born Age
1Kristrún Frostadóttir IcelandPrime Minister202412 May 198837 years, 166 days
2Ibrahim Traoré Burkina Faso202214 March 198837 years, 225 days
3Daniel Noboa EcuadorPresident202330 November 198737 years, 329 days
4Milojko Spajić MontenegroPrime Minister202324 September 198738 years, 31 days
5Jakov Milatović MontenegroPresident20237 December 198638 years, 322 days
6Gabriel Boric ChilePresident202211 February 198639 years, 256 days
7Yulia Svyrydenko UkrainePrime Minister202525 December 198539 years, 304 days
8 Mohammed bin Salman Saudi ArabiaPrime Minister202231 August 198540 years, 55 days
9Mahamat Déby ChadPresident[8]20244 April 198441 years, 204 days
10Assimi Goïta MaliPresident[9]20259 November 198341 years, 350 days

Top ten since 1800

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  Currently living
Rank Name State Position Assumed office Age when assuming office
1 Alfonso XIII SpainKing18860 days[1]
2 Sobhuza II SwazilandKing1899141 days
3Fuad II  EgyptKing1952192 days
4 Puyi ChinaEmperor19082 years, 299 days
5Rajendra    NepalKing18162 years, 353 days
6 Isabella II SpainQueen18332 years, 354 days
7Gyanendra    NepalKing1950[10]3 years, 123 days
8Guangxu  ChinaEmperor18753 years, 195 days
9Faisal II  IraqKing19393 years, 337 days
10Pedro II  BrazilEmperor18315 years, 126 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
1Guillermo Rodríguez EcuadorActing President (1972–1976)4 Nov 1923101 years, 355 days
2Tomiichi Murayama JapanPrime Minister (1994–1996)3 Mar 1924101 years, 236 days
3 Mahathir Mohamad MalaysiaPrime Minister (1981–2003; 2018–2020)10 Jul 1925100 years, 107 days
4Mohammad Hasan Sharq AfghanistanChairman of the Council of Ministers (1988–1989)17 Jul 1925100 years, 100 days
5Abdoulaye Wade SenegalPresident (2000–2012)29 May 192699 years, 149 days
6Valdas Adamkus LithuaniaPresident (1998–2003; 2004–2009)3 Nov 192698 years, 356 days
7Raif Dizdarević YugoslaviaPresident of the Presidency (1988–1989)9 Dec 192698 years, 320 days
8 Kim Yong-nam North KoreaChairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (1998–2019)4 Feb 192897 years, 263 days
9Arthur Foulkes BahamasGovernor-General (2010–2014)11 May 192897 years, 167 days
10Péter Boross HungaryPrime Minister (1993–1994)27 Aug 192897 years, 59 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
1Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum CambodiaActing Prime Minister (1962)19052009103 years, 143 days
2Celâl Bayar Turkey
18831986103 years, 98 days
3Antoine Pinay FrancePrime Minister (1952–1953)18911994102 years, 348 days
4André Prunet-Foch AndorraFrench Viguier (1977–1980)19142017102 years, 211 days
5Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni JapanPrime Minister (1945)18871990102 years, 48 days
6Babiker Awadalla SudanPrime Minister (1969)19172019101 years, 321 days
7Willem Drees NetherlandsPrime Minister (1948–1958)18861988101 years, 314 days
8Guillermo Rodríguez EcuadorActing President (1972–1976)1923Alive101 years, 355 days
9 Đỗ Mười Vietnam19172018101 years, 241 days
10 Zhang Qun ChinaPremier (1947–1948)18891990101 years, 219 days
  1. 1 2 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. 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.
  8. Previously President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad from 2021–2022, and Transitional President of Chad from 2022–2024.
  9. Previously Chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People of Mali in 2020 and 2021, and Interim President of Mali from 2021–2025.
  10. Gyanendra's first occupation of the throne was in 1950; he was deposed in the 1951 Nepalese revolution.