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Lists of state leaders by age facts for kids

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Since 1900, the youngest serving state leader has been 192-day-old Fuad II, King of Egypt (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

Top ten currently serving

Paul Biya 2014
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 Position Assumed office Born Age
1 Paul Biya President of Cameroon 1982 (1933-02-13)13 February 1933 91 years, 44 days
2 Mahmoud Abbas President of the Palestinian National Authority,
President of the State of Palestine
2005 (1935-11-15)15 November 1935 88 years, 134 days
3 Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia 2015 (1935-12-31)31 December 1935 88 years, 88 days
4 Francis Pope of the Holy See,
Sovereign of the Vatican City State
2013 (1936-12-17)17 December 1936 87 years, 102 days
5 Harald V King of Norway 1991 (1937-02-21)21 February 1937 87 years, 36 days
6 Cornelius A. Smith Governor-General of the Bahamas 2019 (1937-04-07)7 April 1937 86 years, 356 days
7 Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Emir of Kuwait 2020 (1937-06-25)25 June 1937 86 years, 277 days
8 Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of Iran 1989 (1939-04-19)19 April 1939 84 years, 344 days
9 Margrethe II Queen of Denmark 1972 (1940-04-16)16 April 1940 83 years, 347 days
10 Michael D. Higgins President of Ireland 2011 (1941-04-18)18 April 1941 82 years, 345 days

Top ten of all time

Giovanni Paolo Lascaris di Ventimiglia e Castellar
Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, the oldest serving state leader of all time.
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
1–2 Enrico Dandolo Doge of Venice 1205 (death) 97–98 years
3 Abdul Momin Sultan of Brunei 1885 (death) 97 years, 8 days
4 Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms 2022 (death) 96 years, 140 days
5 Hastings Banda President of Malawi 1994 (presidency for life revoked, defeated in re-election) 96 years, 98 days
6 Prem Tinsulanonda Regent of Thailand 2016 (term ended) 96 years, 97 days
7 George Tupou I King of Tonga 1893 (death) 95 years, 76 days
8 Mahathir Mohamad Prime Minister of Malaysia 2020 (resigned) 94 years, 235 days
9 Nicolò da Ponte Doge of Venice 1585 (death) 94 years, 196 days
10 Malietoa Tanumafili II O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa 2007 (death) 94 years, 127 days

Youngest serving state leaders

Top ten currently serving

Ibrahim Traoré (cropped)
Ibrahim Traoré, the youngest serving state leader
Rank Name Position Assumed office Born Age
1 Ibrahim Traoré President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration of Burkina Faso 2022 1988 35 years, 88 days to
36 years, 87 days
Interim President of Burkina Faso 2022
2 Jakov Milatović President of Montenegro 2023 7 December 1986 37 years, 112 days
3 Gabriel Boric President of Chile 2022 11 February 1986 38 years, 46 days
4 Dritan Abazović Prime Minister of Montenegro 2022 25 December 1985 38 years, 94 days
5 Sanna Marin Prime Minister of Finland 2019 16 November 1985 38 years, 133 days
6 Mohammed bin Salman Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia 2022 31 August 1985 38 years, 210 days
7 Mahamat Déby Transitional President of Chad 2022 1 January 1984 40 years, 87 days
8 Alessandro Scarano Captain Regent of San Marino 2023 3 September 1983 40 years, 207 days
9 Kim Jong Un Supreme Leader of North Korea 2011 8 January 1983 41 years, 80 days
8–10 Assimi Goïta Interim President of Mali 2021 1983 40 years, 88 days to
41 years, 87 days

Top ten since 1905

King Mswati III 2014
Mswati III, who at the start of his reign, was one of the youngest state leaders since 1905

     Currently in office

Rank Name Position Assumed office Age when assuming office
1 Fuad II King of Egypt 1952 192 days
2 Puyi Emperor of China 1908 2 years, 299 days
3 Gyanendra King of Nepal 1950 3 years, 123 days
4 Faisal II King of Iraq 1939 3 years, 337 days
5 Simeon II Tsar of Bulgaria 1943 6 years, 73 days
6 Jigme Singye Wangchuck King of Bhutan 1972 16 years, 256 days
7 Hussein King of Jordan 1952 16 years, 271 days
8 Mswati III King of Eswatini 1986 18 years, 6 days
9 Bhumibol Adulyadej King of Thailand 1946 18 years, 186 days
10 Ntare V King of Burundi 1966 18 years, 218 days

Oldest state leaders

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

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh meeting with the President of Laos, Mr. Khamtay Siphandone at Vientiane in Laos on November 29, 2004 (cropped)
Khamtai Siphandone, the oldest-living state leader
Rank Name Position Born Age
1 Khamtai Siphandone Prime Minister of Laos (1991–1998) (1924-02-08)8 February 1924 100 years, 49 days
Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1992–2006)
President of Laos (1998–2006)
2 Tomiichi Murayama Prime Minister of Japan (1994–1996) (1924-03-03)3 March 1924 100 years, 25 days
3 Jimmy Carter President of the United States (1977–1981) (1924-10-01)1 October 1924 99 years, 179 days
4 Guillermo Rodríguez Acting President of Ecuador (1972–1976) (1924-11-04)4 November 1924 99 years, 145 days
5 Ali Hassan Mwinyi President of Tanzania (1985–1995) (1925-05-08)8 May 1925 98 years, 325 days
National Chairman of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (1990–1992)
6 Giorgio Napolitano President of Italy (2006–2015) (1925-06-29)29 June 1925 98 years, 273 days
7 Mahathir Mohamad Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981–2003; 2018–2020) (1925-07-10)10 July 1925 98 years, 262 days
8 Mohammad Hasan Sharq Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan (1988–1989) (1925-07-17)17 July 1925 98 years, 255 days
9 Arnaldo Forlani Prime Minister of Italy (1980–1981) (1925-12-08)8 December 1925 98 years, 111 days
10 Abdoulaye Wade President of Senegal (2000–2012) (1926-05-29)29 May 1926 97 years, 304 days

Top ten since 1800

Chau-Sen-Cocsal-Chhum
Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum, the longest-lived state leader
Rank Name Position Born Death 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
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