HomePoliticsTop 15 World's Oldest...

Top 15 World’s Oldest Leaders — Buhari Ranks 5th; Tinubu to Rank 11th

Most global leaders are in their 50s and 60s according to a Pew Research Centre report.

Meanwhile, the median age of current national leaders is 62. When grouped by decade, the largest share of global leaders today (35%) are in their 60s.

Roughly a quarter (22%) are in their 50s, while 18% each are in their 40s or 70s. Biden is among the 5% of leaders who are in their 80s.

In countries classified by Freedom House as not free, the median age of the national leader is 69, compared with 61 in countries that are classified as partly free and 58 in countries classified as free. 

Freedom House scored Nigeria 43 and hence classified as partly free. African countries like Ghana on the other hand scored 80 and classified as free.

Below is a list of the world’s oldest leaders:

1. King Salman [Saudi Arabia] – 87

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has ruled since 2015 and is custodian of Islam’s holiest sites. King Salman He also served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022.

His son Mohammed bin Salman is next in line.

2. Pope Francis [Vatican City] – 86

Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church, the bishop of Rome and the sovereign of the Vatican City State. 

He was born on December 17, 1936.

3. Ayatollah Khamenei – 84

Ali Hosseini Khamenei is a Twelver Shia marja’ and the second and current supreme leader of Iran, in office since 1989.

Previously he served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.

He was born on April 19, 1939.

4. Joe Biden [United States] – 80

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States.

He previously served as the 47th vice president of the US from 2009 to 2017 under President Barack Obama and represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009.

Biden was born on November 20, 1942.

5. Muhammadu Buhari [Nigeria] – 80

Muhammadu Buhari GCFR is a Nigerian politician who has served as president of Nigeria since 2015.

Buhari is a retired Nigerian army major general who served as the country’s military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985 after taking power in a military coup d’état.

Buhari was born on December 17, 1942.

He is expected to hand over power come May 29, 2023, to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his party’s presidential candidate and winner of the 2023 presidential election.

Tinubu was born on March 29, 1952, and is currently 71 years old. Upon assumption of office, he will rank in the top 15 oldest world leaders; probably as 11th oldest in the world.

6. Lula da Silva [Brazil] – 77

7. Anwar Ibrahim – 75

8. King Charles [United Kingdom] – 74

9. Narendra Modi [India] – 72

10. Shehbaz Sharif [Pakistan] – 71

11. Cyril Ramaphosa [South Africa] – 70

12. Xi Jinping [China] – 69

13. Andrés Manuel Obrador [Mexico] – 69

14. Tayyip Erdogan [Turkey] – 69

15. Fumio Kishida [Japan] – 65


Disclaimer

The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for Live and Entertaining Updates.

Always visit NewsWireNGR for the latest Naija news and updated Naija breaking news.

NewsWireNGRLatest News in Nigeria

Send Us A Press Statement/News Tips on 9ja Happenings: [email protected].

Advertise With Us: [email protected]

Contact Us

LISTEN to NewsWireNGR PODCASTS

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Most Popular

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More from Author

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Read Now

Lazarus Angbazo: Beyond Roads and Power, Who Will Finance Human Capital Infrastructure for Africa’s Workforce?

By Lazarus Angbazo |  [email protected] Africa is entering one of the most ambitious periods of infrastructure and industrial investment in its history. Governments are expanding power generation, transport networks, ports, industrial parks, and digital infrastructure, while African private sector leaders are making unprecedented long-term commitments to manufacturing and industrial...

Residents: Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Self Storage Facility in Philadelphia

Finding the ideal self-storage unit can be challenging, especially in Philadelphia, where options abound. Many residents seek facilities that not only safeguard their belongings but also provide value and convenience. In this article, you'll learn the key factors to consider when selecting a self-storage facility in the...

“No Victor, No Vanquished” — Angbazo calls for unity after Nasarawa ADC Governorship Primary win

LAFIA — Retired General Nuhu Angbazo has emerged victorious from the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship primaries in Nasarawa State, calling on all party faithful to sheathe their swords and rally behind a common vision for the state's development. In a press statement issued shortly after his victory...

Lazarus Angbazo: The Countries that will lead the AI Economy are being decided right Now — By Their PowerGrids

Nigeria has enough installed generation to power a mid-sized country. The grid delivers less than half of it. Around the world, the race to build AI-ready power infrastructure is already underway — and the decisions African governments and investors make in the next eighteen months will determine...

Cheta Nwanze: Failed visa Marriages

by Cheta Nwanze The 1990 film Green Card told a relatively innocent story: a French immigrant and an American woman enter a marriage of convenience so he can stay in the US. They barely know each other. They hope never to see each other again after the deal...

Digital Marketing for Attorneys

In the competitive landscape of legal services, personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys are finding themselves overshadowed by competitors who dominate online visibility. The root of this issue lies in the digital presence that many firms lack. While traditional word-of-mouth referrals still hold value, the digital age...

Lazarus Angbazo: The global power industry is leaving Africa behind

 Dr. Lazarus AngbazoThe nascent AI revolution is not just driving electricity consumption and massive demand for additional capacity—it is reshaping how power is built, maintained, and delivered. For Africa, the real risk is no longer just insufficient capacity—it is also losing control and ability to manage the capacity it...

Bunmi Onabanjo-Kuku: The first thing you feel when you land in Nigeria

By Bunmi Onabanjo-Kuku The first thing you feel when you land in a country is not its culture, not its cuisine, not its people. It is its airport. That threshold, the space between the jet bridge and the city beyond, tells you everything a nation believes about itself...

Dr. Lazarus Angbazo: Why a fractured world strengthens the case for African Infrastructure

How inflation, energy insecurity, power scarcity, and geopolitical fragmentation are reshaping the risk-return case for African infrastructure By Dr. Lazarus Angbazo At a recent global infrastructure summit, the prevailing mood among institutional investors was unmistakable. Faced with surging capital requirements for energy transition, grid expansion, and digital infrastructure in Europe and...

Aliko Dangote to launch what could become Africa’s largest initial public offering to raise $5 billion from investors

Nigeria’s biggest local investor, Aliko Dangote, is moving ahead with plans to launch what could become Africa’s largest initial public offering, as Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals prepares to raise up to $5 billion from investors. The share sale is expected to open as early as May, with...

Criminal networks have turned Nigeria’s telecom towers into open-air warehouses for theft, looting

Criminal networks have turned Nigeria’s telecom towers into open-air warehouses for theft, looting 656 critical power assets across 14 states in 2025 alone and keeping up the pace in early 2026. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showed the haul included 152 generators and 504 batteries stolen from...

Paul Yirenkyi: A call for Caution Needed, President Tinubu and the INEC-ADC Crisis

I have seen enough cycles of tension and resolution to recognise when restraint must prevail over confrontation. The current standoff between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is one such moment. In early April 2026, INEC withdrew recognition of the Senator...