’No Country For Young Men’ – How Old Is The Head Of State Of Each Nation

How many world leaders are in each generation?

This visualization by Edit Gyenge visualizes the ages of every nation’s head of state as of March 22, 2023, comparing them with the median population of the respective country. It uses data from the CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.

Editor’s note: This visualization looks specifically at heads of state. It should be mentioned that depending on the system of government in a country, heads of state shown here may or may not have actual political power. In some countries, the head of state may be a ceremonial position that does not impact day-to-day governance.

The Oldest and Youngest Heads of State

Here is the full list of heads of state, from oldest to youngest:

Country
Head of State
Gender
Age
Generation
Cameroon
Paul Biya
Male
90
Silent Generation
Palestine
Mahmoud Abbas
Male
88
Silent Generation
Saudi Arabia
Salman
Male
88
Silent Generation
Norway
Harald V
Male
86
Silent Generation
Kuwait
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Male
86
Silent Generation
Iran
Ali Khamenei
Male
84
Silent Generation
Denmark
Margrethe II
Female
83
Silent Generation
Ireland
Michael D. Higgins
Male
82
Silent Generation
Italy
Sergio Mattarella
Male
82
Silent Generation
Namibia
Hage Geingob
Male
82
Silent Generation
Cote d’Ivoire
Alassane Ouattara
Male
81
Silent Generation
Malta
George Vella
Male
81
Silent Generation
Equatorial Guinea
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Male
81
Silent Generation
Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa
Male
81
Silent Generation
United States
Joe Biden
Male
81
Silent Generation
Nigeria
Muhammadu Buhari
Male
81
Silent Generation
Dominica
Charles Savarin
Male
80
Silent Generation
Congo, Republic of the
Denis Sassou Nguesso
Male
80
Silent Generation
Bangladesh
Abdul Hamid
Male
79
Silent Generation
Austria
Alexander Van der Bellen
Male
79
Silent Generation
Ghana
Nana Akufo-Addo
Male
79
Silent Generation
Iraq
Abdul Latif Rashid
Male
79
Silent Generation
Uganda
Yoweri Museveni
Male
79
Silent Generation
Nepal
Ram Chandra Paudel
Male
79
Silent Generation
Liechtenstein
Hans-Adam II
Male
78
Silent Generation
Brazil
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Male
78
Silent Generation
Laos
Thongloun Sisoulith
Male
78
Silent Generation
Nicaragua
Daniel Ortega
Male
78
Silent Generation
Algeria
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Male
78
Silent Generation
Eritrea
Isaias Afwerki
Male
77
Baby Boomers
Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf
Male
77
Baby Boomers
Brunei
Hassanal Bolkiah
Male
77
Baby Boomers
Samoa
Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II
Male
76
Baby Boomers
Djibouti
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
Male
76
Baby Boomers
Finland
Sauli Niinistö
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Antigua and Barbuda
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Australia
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Bahamas
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Belize
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Canada
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Grenada
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Jamaica
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
New Zealand
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Papua New Guinea
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Saint Lucia
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Solomon Islands
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Tuvalu
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
United Kingdom
Charles III
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Portugal
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
Male
75
Baby Boomers
Barbados
Dame Sandra Mason
Female
74
Baby Boomers
Sri Lanka
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Male
74
Baby Boomers
Pakistan
Arif Alvi
Male
74
Baby Boomers
Haiti
Ariel Henry
Male
74
Baby Boomers
East Timor
José Ramos-Horta
Male
74
Baby Boomers
Bahrain
Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Male
73
Baby Boomers
Ethiopia
Sahle-Work Zewde
Female
73
Baby Boomers
Myanmar
Myint Swe
Male
72
Baby Boomers
Marshall Islands
David Kabua
Male
72
Baby Boomers
South Sudan
Salva Kiir Mayardit
Male
72
Baby Boomers
Georgia
Salome Zourabichvili
Female
71
Baby Boomers
Thailand
Maha Vajiralongkorn
Male
71
Baby Boomers
Tajikistan
Emomali Rahmon
Male
71
Baby Boomers
Russia
Vladimir Putin
Male
71
Baby Boomers
South Africa
Cyril Ramaphhosa
Male
71
Baby Boomers
Panama
Laurentino Cortizo
Male
70
Baby Boomers
Cambodia
Norodom Sihamoni
Male
70
Baby Boomers
Kazakhstan
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Male
70
Baby Boomers
China
Xi Jinping
Male
70
Baby Boomers
Mexico
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Male
70
Baby Boomers
Yemen
Rashad al-Alimi
Male
69
Baby Boomers
Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Male
69
Baby Boomers
Angola
João Lourenço
Male
69
Baby Boomers
Singapore
Halimah Yacob
Female
69
Baby Boomers
Belarus
Alexander Lukashenko
Male
69
Baby Boomers
Oman
Haitham bin Tariq
Male
69
Baby Boomers
Egypt
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Male
69
Baby Boomers
Malawi
Lazarus Chakwera
Male
68
Baby Boomers
Luxembourg
Henri
Male
68
Baby Boomers
Latvia
Egils Levits
Male
68
Baby Boomers
Ecuador
Guillermo Lasso
Male
68
Baby Boomers
Lebanon
Najib Mikati
Male
68
Baby Boomers
Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Male
68
Baby Boomers
Germany
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Male
67
Baby Boomers
Guatemala
Alejandro Giammattei
Male
67
Baby Boomers
Greece
Katerina Sakellaropoulou
Female
67
Baby Boomers
Mauritania
Mohamed Ould Ghazouani
Male
67
Baby Boomers
Central African Republic
Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Male
66
Baby Boomers
Uzbekistan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Male
66
Baby Boomers
Philippines
Bongbong Marcos
Male
66
Baby Boomers
Rwanda
Paul Kagame
Male
66
Baby Boomers
Tunisia
Kaïs Saïed
Male
65
Baby Boomers
Monaco
Albert II
Male
65
Baby Boomers
Estonia
Alar Karis
Male
65
Baby Boomers
Benin
Patrice Talon
Male
65
Baby Boomers
India
Droupadi Murmu
Female
65
Baby Boomers
Trinidad and Tobago
Paula-Mae Weekes
Female
65
Baby Boomers
Comoros
Azali Assoumani
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Suriname
Chan Santokhi
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Gabon
Ali Bongo Ondimba
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Mozambique
Filipe Nyusi
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Seychelles
Wavel Ramkalawan
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Argentina
Alberto Fernández
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Armenia
Vahagn Khachaturyan
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Mauritius
Prithvirajsing Roopun
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Romania
Klaus Iohannis
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Tonga
Tupou VI
Male
64
Baby Boomers
São Tomé and Príncipe
Carlos Vila Nova
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Malaysia
Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah
Male
64
Baby Boomers
Honduras
Xiomara Castro
Female
64
Baby Boomers
Niger
Mohamed Bazoum
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Tanzania
Samia Suluhu Hassan
Female
63
Baby Boomers
Japan
Naruhito
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Cabo Verde
José Maria Neves
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Belgium
Philippe
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Colombia
Gustavo Petro
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Cuba
Miguel Díaz-Canel
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Sudan
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Kiribati
Taneti Maamau
Male
63
Baby Boomers
Israel
Isaac Herzog
Male
63
Baby Boomers
South Korea
Yoon Suk-yeol
Male
63
Baby Boomers
United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Afghanistan
Hibatullah Akhundzada
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Costa Rica
Rodrigo Chaves Robles
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Indonesia
Joko Widodo
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Botswana
Mokgweetsi Masisi
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Czechia
Petr Pavel
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Senegal
Macky Sall
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev
Male
62
Baby Boomers
Jordan
Abdullah II
Male
61
Baby Boomers
Montenegro
Milo Ðukanovic
Male
61
Baby Boomers
Maldives
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Male
61
Baby Boomers
Peru
Dina Boluarte
Female
61
Baby Boomers
Zambia
Hakainde Hichilema
Male
61
Baby Boomers
Venezuela
Nicolás Maduro
Male
61
Baby Boomers
North Macedonia
Stevo Pendarovski
Male
60
Baby Boomers
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Félix Tshisekedi
Male
60
Baby Boomers
Bulgaria
Rumen Radev
Male
60
Baby Boomers
Lesotho
Letsie III
Male
60
Baby Boomers
Morocco
Mohammed VI
Male
60
Baby Boomers
Bolivia
Luis Arce
Male
60
Baby Boomers
Micronesia
David W. Panuelo
Male
59
Baby Boomers
Fiji
Ratu Wiliame Katonivere
Male
59
Baby Boomers
Sierra Leone
Julius Maada Bio
Male
59
Baby Boomers
Vanuatu
Nikenike Vurobaravu
Male
59
Baby Boomers
Lithuania
Gitanas Nauseda
Male
59
Baby Boomers
The Gambia
Adama Barrow
Male
58
Generation X
Syria
Bashar al-Assad
Male
58
Generation X
Togo
Faure Gnassingbé
Male
57
Generation X
Liberia
George Weah
Male
57
Generation X
Croatia
Zoran Milanovic
Male
57
Generation X
Kenya
William Ruto
Male
57
Generation X
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Željka Cvijanovic
Female
56
Generation X
Albania
Bajram Begaj
Male
56
Generation X
Netherlands
Willem-Alexander
Male
56
Generation X
Dominican Republic
Luis Abinader
Male
56
Generation X
Spain
Felipe VI
Male
55
Generation X
Eswatini
Mswati III
Male
55
Generation X
Slovenia
Nataša Pirc Musar
Female
55
Generation X
Mongolia
Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
Male
55
Generation X
Burundi
Évariste Ndayishimiye
Male
55
Generation X
Iceland
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Male
55
Generation X
Palau
Surangel Whipps Jr.
Male
55
Generation X
Kyrgyzstan
Sadyr Japarov
Male
55
Generation X
Serbia
Aleksandar Vucic
Male
53
Generation X
Vietnam
Võ Văn Thưởng
Male
53
Generation X
Paraguay
Mario Abdo Benítez
Male
52
Generation X
Switzerland
Alain Berset
Male
51
Generation X
Poland
Andrzej Duda
Male
51
Generation X
Moldova
Maia Sandu
Female
51
Generation X
Guinea-Bissau
Umaro Sissoco Embaló
Male
51
Generation X
Slovakia
Zuzana Caputová
Female
50
Generation X
Uruguay
Luis Lacalle Pou
Male
50
Generation X
Cyprus
Nikos Christodoulides
Male
50
Generation X
Madagascar
Andry Rajoelina
Male
49
Generation X
Nauru
Russ Kun
Male
48
Generation X
Libya
Mohamed al-Menfi
Male
47
Generation X
Hungary
Katalin Novák
Female
46
Generation X
France
Emmanuel Macron
Male
46
Generation X
Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Male
45
Generation X
Bhutan
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Male
43
Generation X
Guinea
Mamady Doumbouya
Male
43
Generation X
Guyana
Irfaan Ali
Male
43
Generation X
Qatar
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Male
43
Generation X
El Salvador
Nayib Bukele
Male
42
Millennials
Turkmenistan
Serdar Berdimuhamedow
Male
42
Millennials
North Korea
Kim Jong-un
Male
41
Millennials
Mali
Assimi Goïta
Male
40
Millennials
Chad
Mahamat Déby
Male
39
Millennials
Chile
Gabriel Boric
Male
37
Millennials
Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Traoré
Male
35
Millennials

Though ages vary across countries and regions, Africa has both the oldest and youngest heads of state in the world today.

Last month, Cameroon’s president Paul Biya celebrated his 90th birthday, making him the oldest head of state in the world in a country that has a median population age of just 18.5 years. The African continent is home to about one-third of the world’s silent generation heads of states.

At the other age extreme, 35-year-old Ibrahim Traoré became the youngest head of state in Burkina Faso after a coup d’etat in September 2022.

Traoré is not the only millennial head of state out there. He is joined by others including Chile’s Gabriel Boric, and North Korea’s well-known Kim Jong-un.

Baby Boomers Lead the Way

Born between 1946 and 1964, the baby boomer generation dominates the world’s state leadership roles today.

Over 58% of the world’s heads of state are in this generation, including the UK’s King Charles III who is the head of state of 15 total nations.

Boomers also make up the largest share of women leaders in the top state positions today. While only around 10% of the world’s nations have women head of states, 65% of them are in this generation.

Included in this subset are heads of state such as Peru’s president Dina Boluarte, Honduras’ president Xiomara Castro, and India’s president Droupadi Murmu.

Where Gen X Takes the Lead

According to historical trends, one might expect to see an American president from Generation X in office sometime soon, but that has not yet materialized for various reasons.

However, this generation has made their mark in other parts of the world as heads of state, especially in Europe.

The presidents of Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelenskyy), France (Emmanuel Macron), and Hungary (Katalin Novák) are in Gen X, and are also Europe’s youngest heads of state.