List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by age

This is a list of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by age. This table can be sorted to display Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by name, order of office, date of birth, age at appointment, length of retirement, or lifespan. Age at appointment is determined by the day a prime minister assumed office for the first time. Length of retirement is determined from the day a prime minister leaves office for the final time until their death.

Two measures of longevity are given; this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each Prime Minister. The first figure is the number of days between date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; in parentheses the same period given in years and days, with the number of whole years that the Prime Minister had lived, and the days being the remaining number of days from their last birthday. Where the prime minister in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to April 5, 2016.

Overview

The average age of accession is 53 years and 43 days, which falls between Earl of Derby (23rd) and Margaret Thatcher (24th). The youngest Prime Minister to assume office was William Pitt the Younger (aged 24 years, and 205 days). The youngest Prime Minister to leave office was Duke of Grafton (aged 34 years, and 122 days). The oldest Prime Minister to assume office for the first time was Viscount Palmerston (aged 70 years, and 109 days). The oldest Prime Minister to be appointed overall was William Ewart Gladstone (aged 82 years, and 230 days) when he was appointed for the fourth and final time on August 15, 1892. Gladstone was also the oldest Prime Minister to leave office (aged 84 years and 63 days) at his final retirement on March 2, 1894.

The oldest living former Prime Minister is John Major, born March 29, 1943 (aged 73 years, 7 days). Gordon Brown is the second oldest, 7 years, and 328 days younger than Major. Brown was born on February 20, 1951 (aged 65 years, 45 days). The youngest living former Prime Minister is Tony Blair, born May 6, 1953 (aged 62 years, 335 days). The youngest living Prime Minister is the incumbent, David Cameron, born October 9, 1966 (aged 49 years, 179 days).

The longest-lived prime minister was James Callaghan, who died on the eve of his 93rd birthday on March 26, 2005. Harold Macmillan was the second longest-lived, 42 days short of Callaghan. The oldest living prime minister, John Major, will tie Macmillan if he lives to February 15, 2036, and tie Callaghan if he lives to March 28, 2036. The second-oldest living prime minister, Gordon Brown, will tie Macmillan if he lives to January 8, 2044, and tie Callaghan if he lives to February 19, 2044. The shortest-lived prime minister was Duke of Devonshire who was 44 years, and 147 days when he died on October 2, 1764.

The prime minister with the longest retirement is Duke of Grafton, at 41 years and 45 days. He achieved this record on January 1, 1799, surpassing Earl of Bute, who died 28 years, and 337 days after leaving office. Bute held the record for 7 years. The closest anyone has been to Grafton's record since was Henry Addington, who left office on May 10, 1804, and died 39 years, and 281 days later on February 15, 1844. Of the three former prime ministers currently alive, John Major has been retired the longest, he left office on May 2, 1997. If he is still alive on June 24, 2038, he will surpass Grafton's record and become the longest lived prime minister after office. The prime minister with the shortest retirement is Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who died only 19 days after leaving office.

List of Prime Ministers

Order of office
 Prime Minister
 Date of birth
 Date of (first) appointment Age at (first) appointment End date of (final) term Age at leaving office
 Length of retirement
 Date of death
 Lifespan
1 Robert Walpole 1676-08-26August 26, 1676 April 4, 1721 44-22144 years, 221 days February 11, 1742 65-16965 years, 169 days 03-353 years, 35 days 1745-03-18March 18, 1745 68-20468 years, 204 days
2 Earl of Wilmington 1673 February 16, 1742 69 years 1743-07-02July 2, 1743 N/AN/A N/AN/A 1743-07-02July 2, 1743a 70 years
3 Henry Pelham September 25, 1694 August 27, 1743 48 years, 336 days March 6, 1754 N/A N/A March 6, 1754a 59-16259 years, 162 days
4 Duke of Newcastle July 21, 1693 March 16, 1754 60 years, 238 days May 26, 1762 68 years, 309 days 6 years, 175 days November 17, 1768 75 years, 119 days
5 Duke of Devonshire May 8, 1720 November 16, 1756 36 years, 192 days June 25, 1757 37 years, 48 days 7 years, 99 days October 2, 1764 44 years, 147 days
6 Earl of Bute May 25, 1713 May 26, 1762 49 years, 1 day April 8, 1763 49 years, 318 days 28 years, 337 days March 10, 1792 78 years, 290 days
7 George Grenville October 14, 1712 April 16, 1763 50 years, 184 days July 13, 1765 52 years, 272 days 5 years, 123 days November 13, 1770 58 years, 30 days
8 Marquess of Rockingham May 13, 1730 July 13, 1765 35 years, 61 days July 1, 1782 N/A N/A July 1, 1782a 52 years, 49 days
9 William Pitt the Elder November 15, 1708 July 30, 1766 57 years, 257 days October 14, 1768 59 years, 334 days 9 years, 209 days May 11, 1778 69 years, 177 days
10 Duke of Grafton September 28, 1735 October 14, 1768 33 years, 16 days January 28, 1770 34 years, 122 days 41 years, 45 days March 14, 1811 75 years, 167 days
11 Lord North April 13, 1732 January 28, 1770 37 years, 290 days March 22, 1782 49 years, 343 days 10 years, 136 days August 5, 1792 60 years, 114 days
12 Earl of Shelburne May 2, 1737 July 4, 1782 45 years, 63 days April 2, 1783 45 years, 335 days 22 years, 35 days May 7, 1805 68 years, 5 days
13 Duke of Portland April 14, 1738 April 2, 1783 44 years, 353 days October 4, 1809 71 years, 173 days 26 days October 30, 1809 71 years, 199 days
14 William Pitt the Younger May 28, 1759 December 19, 1783 24 years, 205 days January 23, 1806 N/A N/A January 23, 1806a 46 years, 240 days
15 Henry Addington May 30, 1757 March 17, 1801 43 years, 291 days May 10, 1804 46 years, 346 days 39 years, 281 days February 15, 1844 86 years, 261 days
16 William Grenville October 25, 1759 February 11, 1806 46 years, 109 days March 31, 1807 47 years, 157 days 26 years, 287 days January 12, 1834 74 years, 79 days
17 Spencer Perceval November 1, 1762 October 4, 1809 46 years, 363 days May 11, 1812 N/A N/A May 11, 1812a 49 years, 192 days
18 Earl of Liverpool June 7, 1770 June 8, 1812 42 years, 1 day April 9, 1827 56 years, 306 days 1 year, 239 days December 4, 1828 58 years, 180 days
19 George Canning April 11, 1770 April 10, 1812 56 years, 364 days August 8, 1827 N/A N/A August 8, 1827a 57 years, 119 days
20 Viscount Goderich November 1, 1782 August 31, 1827 44 years, 303 days January 21, 1828 45 years, 81 days 31 years, 7 days January 28, 1859 76 years, 88 days
21 Duke of Wellington May 1, 1769 January 22, 1828 58 years, 266 days December 10, 1834 65 years, 223 days 17 years, 279 days September 14, 1852 83 years, 136 days
22 Earl Grey March 13, 1764 November 22, 1830 66 years, 254 days July 16, 1834 70 years, 125 days 11 years, 1 day July 17, 1845 81 years, 126 days
23 Viscount Melbourne March 15, 1779 July 16, 1834 55 years, 123 days August 30, 1841 62 years, 168 days 7 years, 86 days November 24, 1848 69 years, 254 days
24 Robert Peel February 5, 1788 December 10, 1834 46 years, 308 days June 29, 1846 58 years, 144 days 4 years, 3 days July 2, 1850 62 years, 147 days
25 Lord John Russell August 18, 1792 June 30, 1846 53 years, 316 days June 28, 1866 73 years, 314 days 11 years, 334 days May 28, 1878 85 years, 283 days
26 Earl of Derby March 29, 1799 February 23, 1852 52 years, 331 days February 27, 1868 68 years, 335 days 1 year, 238 days October 23, 1869 70 years, 208 days
27 Earl of Aberdeen January 28, 1784 December 19, 1852 68 years, 326 days January 30, 1855 71 years, 2 days 5 years, 319 days December 14, 1860 76 years, 321 days
28 Viscount Palmerston October 20, 1784 February 6, 1855 70 years, 109 days October 18, 1865 N/A N/A October 18, 1865a 80 years, 363 days
29 Benjamin Disraeli December 21, 1804 February 27, 1868 63 years, 68 days April 21, 1880 75 years, 122 days 363 days April 19, 1881 76 years, 119 days
30 William Ewart Gladstone December 29, 1809 December 3, 1868 58 years, 340 days March 2, 1894 84 years, 63 days 4 years, 78 days May 19, 1898 88 years, 141 days
31 Marquess of Salisbury February 3, 1830 June 23, 1885 55 years, 140 days July 11, 1902 72 years, 158 days 1 year, 42 days August 22, 1903 73 years, 200 days
32 Earl of Rosebery May 7, 1847 March 5, 1894 46 years, 302 days June 22, 1895 48 years, 46 days 33 years, 333 days May 21, 1929 82 years, 14 days
33 Arthur Balfour July 25, 1848 July 11, 1902 53 years, 351 days December 5, 1905 57 years, 133 days 24 years, 104 days March 19, 1930 81 years, 237 days
34 Henry Campbell-Bannerman September 7, 1836 December 5, 1905 69 years, 89 days April 3, 1908 71 years, 209 days 19 days April 22, 1908 71 years, 228 days
35 Herbert Henry Asquith September 12, 1852 April 5, 1908 55 years, 206 days December 5, 1916 64 years, 84 days 11 years, 72 days February 15, 1928 75 years, 156 days
36 David Lloyd George January 17, 1863 December 7, 1916 53 years, 325 days October 22, 1922 59 years, 278 days 22 years, 155 days March 26, 1945 82 years, 68 days
37 Andrew Bonar Law September 16, 1858 October 23, 1922 64 years, 37 days May 22, 1923 64 years, 248 days 161 days October 30, 1923 65 years, 44 days
38 Stanley Baldwin August 3, 1867 May 23, 1923 55 years, 293 days May 28, 1937 69 years, 298 days 10 years, 133 days December 14, 1947 80 years, 133 days
39 Ramsay MacDonald October 12, 1866 January 22, 1924 57 years, 102 days June 7, 1935 68 years, 238 days 2 years, 155 days November 9, 1937 71 years, 28 days
40 Neville Chamberlain March 18, 1869 May 28, 1937 68 years, 71 days May 10, 1940 71 years, 53 days 183 days November 9, 1940 71 years, 236 days
41 Winston Churchill November 30, 1874 May 10, 1940 65 years, 162 days April 6, 1955 80 years, 127 days 9 years, 293 days January 24, 1965 90 years, 55 days
42 Clement Attlee January 3, 1883 July 26, 1945 62 years, 204 days October 26, 1951 68 years, 296 days 15 years, 347 days October 8, 1967 84 years, 278 days
43 Anthony Eden June 12, 1897 April 6, 1955 57 years, 298 days January 10, 1957 59 years, 212 days 20 years, 4 days January 14, 1977 79 years, 216 days
44 Harold Macmillan February 10, 1894 January 10, 1957 62 years, 335 days October 18, 1963 69 years, 250 days 23 years, 72 days December 29, 1986 92 years, 322 days
45 Alec Douglas-Home July 2, 1903 October 18, 1963 60 years, 108 days October 16, 1964 61 years, 106 days 30 years, 358 days October 9, 1995 92 years, 99 days
46 Harold Wilson March 11, 1916 October 16, 1964 48 years, 219 days April 5, 1976 60 years, 25 days 19 years, 49 days May 24, 1995 79 years, 74 days
47 Edward Heath July 9, 1916 June 19, 1970 53 years, 345 days March 4, 1974 57 years, 238 days 31 years, 135 days July 17, 2005 89 years, 8 days
48 James Callaghan March 27, 1912 April 5, 1976 64 years, 9 days May 4, 1979 67 years, 38 days 25 years, 326 days March 26, 2005 92 years, 364 days
49 Margaret Thatcher October 13, 1925 May 4, 1979 53 years, 203 days November 28, 1990 65 years, 46 days 22 years, 131 days April 8, 2013 87 years, 177 days
50 John Major March 29, 1943 November 28, 1990 47 years, 244 days May 2, 1997 54 years, 34 days 18 years, 339 days 73 years, 7 days
51 Tony Blair May 6, 1953 May 2, 1997 43 years, 361 days June 27, 2007 54 years, 52 days 8 years, 283 days 62 years, 335 days
52 Gordon Brown February 20, 1951 June 27, 2007 56 years, 127 days May 11, 2010 59 years, 80 days 5 years, 330 days 65 years, 45 days
53 David Cameron October 9, 1966 May 11, 2010 43 years, 214 days Incumbent Incumbent Incumbent 49 years, 179 days
Order of office Prime Minister Date of birth Date of (first) appointment Age at (first) appointment End date of (final) term Age at leaving office Length of retirement Date of death Lifespan

Oldest living Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

Not all prime ministers live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 49 deceased prime ministers, 30 eventually became the oldest of their lifetime, while 19 did not (including 4 of the 7 prime ministers who died in office, Earl of Wilmington, Henry Pelham, and Viscount Palmerston being the only exceptions). Henry Addington became the oldest living prime minister when Duke of Grafton died in 1811 and remained so until his death in 1844, for a record of almost 33 years. Edward Heath became the oldest living prime minister after the death of James Callaghan, but he survived Callaghan by only 113 days. On two occasions the oldest living prime minister lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a prime minister who was older. Robert Walpole lost this distinction when Earl of Wilmington was appointed, then a year later when Wilmington died in office Walpole regained it again until his own death in 1745 for a total period of 22 years, and 207 days. Earl of Rosebery lost it when Henry Campbell-Bannerman was appointed, but regained it again when Campbell-Bannerman died. Consequently, Rosebery too was the oldest living prime minister twice: first from 1903 to 1905 (after the death of Lord Salisbury), and a second time after Campbell-Bannerman's death in 1908 until his own death in 1929 for a total period of 23 years, and 134 days. Edward Heath was the oldest to acquire this distinction at age 89. Anthony Eden, who was 79 years and 216 days old when he died, was the oldest prime minister to die without also being the oldest prime minister.

Prime Minister Became oldest living prime minister Ceased to be oldest living prime minister Age at start date Age at end date Duration (years, days)
Robert Walpole April 4, 1721 February 11, 1742 44 years, 221 days 65 years, 169 days 20 years, 313 days
Earl of Wilmington February 11, 1742 July 2, 1743 69 70 1 year, 141 days
Robert Walpole July 2, 1743 March 18, 1745 66 years, 310 days 68 years, 204 days 1 year, 259 days
Henry Pelham March 18, 1745 March 6, 1754 50 years, 174 days 59 years, 162 days 8 years, 353 days
Duke of Newcastle March 6, 1754 November 17, 1768 60 years, 228 days 75 years, 119 days 14 years, 256 days
William Pitt the Elder November 17, 1768 May 11, 1778 60 years, 2 days 69 years, 177 days 9 years, 175 days
Earl of Bute May 11, 1778 March 10, 1792 64 years, 351 days 78 years, 290 days 13 years, 304 days
Lord North March 10, 1792 August 5, 1792 59 years, 332 days 60 years, 114 days 148 days
Duke of Grafton August 5, 1792 March 14, 1811 56 years, 312 days 75 years, 167 days 18 years, 221 days
Henry Addington March 14, 1811 February 15, 1844 53 years, 288 days 86 years, 261 days 32 years, 338 days
Earl Grey February 15, 1844 July 17, 1845 79 years, 339 days 81 years, 126 days 1 year, 152 days
Duke of Wellington July 17, 1845 September 14, 1852 76 years, 77 days 83 years, 136 days 7 years, 59 days
Viscount Goderich September 14, 1852 January 28, 1859 69 years, 318 days 76 years, 88 days 6 years, 136 days
Earl of Aberdeen January 28, 1859 December 14, 1860 75 years, 0 days 76 years, 321 days 1 year, 321 days
Viscount Palmerston December 14, 1860 October 18, 1865 76 years, 55 days 80 years, 363 days 4 years, 308 days
Lord John Russell October 18, 1865 May 28, 1878 73 years, 61 days 85 years, 283 days 12 years, 222 days
Benjamin Disraeli May 28, 1878 April 19, 1881 73 years, 158 days 76 years, 119 days 2 years, 326 days
William Ewart Gladstone April 19, 1881 May 19, 1898 71 years, 111 days 88 years, 141 days 17 years, 30 days
Marquess of Salisbury May 19, 1898 August 22, 1903 68 years, 105 days 73 years, 200 days 5 years, 95 days
Earl of Rosebery August 22, 1903 December 5, 1905 56 years, 107 days 58 years, 212 days 2 years, 105 days
Henry Campbell-Bannerman December 5, 1905 April 22, 1908 69 years, 89 days 71 years, 228 days 2 years, 139 days
Earl of Rosebery April 22, 1908 May 21, 1929 60 years, 351 days 82 years, 14 days 21 years, 29 days
Arthur Balfour May 21, 1929 March 19, 1930 80 years, 300 days 81 years, 237 days 302 days
David Lloyd George March 19, 1930 March 26, 1945 67 years, 61 days 82 years, 68 days 15 years, 7 days
Stanley Baldwin March 26, 1945 December 14, 1947 77 years, 235 days 80 years, 133 days 2 years, 263 days
Winston Churchill December 14, 1947 January 24, 1965 73 years, 14 days 90 years, 55 days 17 years, 41 days
Clement Attlee January 24, 1965 October 8, 1967 82 years, 21 days 84 years, 278 days 2 years, 257 days
Harold Macmillan October 8, 1967 December 29, 1986 73 years, 240 days 92 years, 322 days 19 years, 82 days
Alec Douglas-Home December 29, 1986 October 9, 1995 83 years, 180 days 92 years, 99 days 8 years, 284 days
James Callaghan October 9, 1995 March 26, 2005 83 years, 196 days 92 years, 364 days 9 years, 168 days
Edward Heath March 26, 2005 July 17, 2005 88 years, 260 days 89 years, 8 days 113 days
Margaret Thatcher July 17, 2005 April 8, 2013 79 years, 277 days 87 years, 177 days 7 years, 265 days
John Major April 8, 2013 Current oldest living prime minister 70 years, 10 days Current oldest living prime minister 2 years, 363 days
Prime Minister Became oldest living prime minister Ceased to be oldest living prime minister Age at start date Age at end date Duration (years, days)

See also

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