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People, Africa's heads of state

Oldest president in Africa

Every African president ranked by age, from the oldest, with date of birth and how long each has been in office. Ages update every day.

Who is counted

We count the 51 presidents who are head of state of an African country today, as listed in our government directory with an official source for each. This includes leaders who chair a council acting as head of state, as in Sudan and Libya, and presidents whose post is ceremonial, which we mark. The 3 kings of Morocco, Eswatini and Lesotho are listed separately at the end.

Time in office counts from the day a president took office and runs without a break to today. A president re-elected without a gap keeps counting from their first day. Earlier, separate spells in office are mentioned in the notes but not added.

Presidents' ages at a glance

  • Youngest: Ibrahim Traoré

    38 years old

  • Oldest: Paul Biya

    93 years old

  • Middle of 51 presidents

    67 years old

  • Aged 80 or over

    11 presidents

Source: PollsAfrica government directory (current office holders, from official sources); Wikidata (birth dates and dates in office). Last checked 24 October 2026.

The oldest presidents in AfricaAge in years as of 24 October 2026. The ten oldest.
Paul BiyaCameroon93Jean-Lucien Savi de TovéTogo87Arthur Peter MutharikaMalawi86Alassane OuattaraCôte d'Ivoire84Teodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoEquatorial Guinea84Emmerson Dambudzo MnangagwaZimbabwe84Denis Sassou N'GuessoCongo82Yoweri Kaguta MuseveniUganda82Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.Liberia81Abdelmadjid TebbouneAlgeria80
Paul Biya, Cameroon93Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové, Togo87Arthur Peter Mutharika, Malawi86Alassane Ouattara, Côte d'Ivoire84Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea84Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe84Denis Sassou N'Guesso, Congo82Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Uganda82Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., Liberia81Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria80
View the data as a table
ItemDetailValue
Paul BiyaCameroon93
Jean-Lucien Savi de TovéTogo87
Arthur Peter MutharikaMalawi86
Alassane OuattaraCôte d'Ivoire84
Teodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoEquatorial Guinea84
Emmerson Dambudzo MnangagwaZimbabwe84
Denis Sassou N'GuessoCongo82
Yoweri Kaguta MuseveniUganda82
Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.Liberia81
Abdelmadjid TebbouneAlgeria80

Source: PollsAfrica government directory (current office holders, from official sources); Wikidata (birth dates and dates in office). Last checked 24 October 2026.

All 51 African presidents by ageClick a heading to sort. Search by name or filter by note.

Showing 51 of 51

Rank
10Abdelmadjid TebbouneAlgeria8017 November 194512 December 20196.8Elected or appointed under the constitution
18João Manuel Gonçalves LourençoAngola725 March 195426 September 20179.0Elected or appointed under the constitution
44Romuald WadagniBenin5020 June 197624 May 20260.4Elected or appointed under the constitution
41Duma Gideon BokoBotswana5631 December 19691 November 20241.9Elected or appointed under the constitution
51Ibrahim TraoréBurkina Faso3814 March 198821 October 20224.0Came to power in a military takeover
40Evariste NdayishimiyeBurundi5817 June 196818 June 20206.3Elected or appointed under the constitution
29José Maria Pereira NevesCabo Verde6628 March 19609 November 20214.9Elected or appointed under the constitution
1Paul BiyaCameroon9313 February 19336 November 198243.9Elected or appointed under the constitution
22Faustin-Archange TouadéraCentral African Republic6921 April 195730 March 201610.5Elected or appointed under the constitution
48Mahamat Idriss Deby ItnoChad424 April 198420 April 20215.5Came to power in a military takeover
26Azali AssoumaniComoros671 January 195926 May 201610.4Elected or appointed under the constitution
7Denis Sassou N'GuessoCongo8223 November 194325 October 199728.9Elected or appointed under the constitution
4Alassane OuattaraCôte d'Ivoire841 January 19424 December 201015.8Elected or appointed under the constitution
35Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi TshilomboDemocratic Republic of the Congo6313 June 196325 January 20197.7Elected or appointed under the constitution
12Ismail Omar GuellehDjibouti7827 November 19478 May 199927.4Elected or appointed under the constitution
19Abdel Fattah El-SisiEgypt7119 November 19548 June 201412.3Elected or appointed under the constitution
5Teodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoEquatorial Guinea845 June 19423 August 197947.2Elected or appointed under the constitution
11Isaias AfwerkiEritrea802 February 194619 May 199333.4Elected or appointed under the constitution
20Taye Atske SelassieEthiopia7013 January 19567 October 20242.0Ceremonial post
43Brice Clotaire Oligui NguemaGabon513 March 197530 August 20233.1Came to power in a military takeover
38Adama BarrowGambia6115 February 196519 January 20179.7Elected or appointed under the constitution
27John Dramani MahamaGhana6729 November 19587 January 20251.7Elected or appointed under the constitution
30Horta Inta-AGuinea-Bissau661960, exact date not published27 November 20250.9Came to power in a military takeover
50Mamadi DoumbouyaGuinea415 December 19841 October 20215.0Came to power in a military takeover
39William Samoei RutoKenya5921 December 196613 September 20224.1Elected or appointed under the constitution
9Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.Liberia8130 November 194422 January 20242.7Elected or appointed under the constitution
45Muhammad al-ManfiLibya503 March 197615 March 20215.6Elected or appointed under the constitution
42Michaël RandrianirinaMadagascar521974, exact date not published14 October 20251.0Came to power in a military takeover
3Arthur Peter MutharikaMalawi8618 July 19404 October 20251.0Elected or appointed under the constitution
49Assimi GoïtaMali429 November 19837 June 20215.3Came to power in a military takeover
23Mohamed Ould Cheikh El GhazouaniMauritania6931 December 19561 August 20197.2Elected or appointed under the constitution
13Dharambeer GokhoolMauritius7625 October 19497 December 20241.8Ceremonial post
46Daniel Francisco ChapoMozambique496 January 197715 January 20251.7Elected or appointed under the constitution
16Netumbo Nandi-NdaitwahNamibia7329 October 195221 March 20251.5Elected or appointed under the constitution
33Abdourahamane TianiNiger651961, exact date not published28 July 20233.2Came to power in a military takeover
15Bola Ahmed TinubuNigeria7429 March 195229 May 20233.4Elected or appointed under the constitution
24Paul KagameRwanda6923 October 195722 April 200026.5Elected or appointed under the constitution
28Carlos Manuel Vila NovaSão Tomé and Príncipe6727 July 19592 October 20215.0Elected or appointed under the constitution
47Bassirou Diomaye FayeSenegal4625 March 19802 April 20242.5Elected or appointed under the constitution
36Patrick HerminieSeychelles6322 September 196326 October 20250.9Elected or appointed under the constitution
37Julius Maada BioSierra Leone6212 May 19644 April 20188.5Elected or appointed under the constitution
21Hassan Sheikh MohamudSomalia7029 November 195523 May 20224.4Elected or appointed under the constitution
17Matamela Cyril RamaphosaSouth Africa7317 November 195215 February 20188.6Elected or appointed under the constitution
14Salva Kiir MayarditSouth Sudan7513 September 19519 July 201115.2Elected or appointed under the constitution
31Abdel Fattah al-BurhanSudan6611 July 196011 November 20214.9Came to power in a military takeover
32Samia Suluhu HassanTanzania6627 January 196019 March 20215.5Elected or appointed under the constitution
2Jean-Lucien Savi de TovéTogo877 May 19393 May 20251.4Ceremonial post
25Kaïs SaïedTunisia6822 February 195823 October 20197.0Elected or appointed under the constitution
8Yoweri Kaguta MuseveniUganda8215 September 194426 January 198640.7Elected or appointed under the constitution
34Hakainde HichilemaZambia644 June 196224 August 20215.1Elected or appointed under the constitution
6Emmerson Dambudzo MnangagwaZimbabwe8415 September 194224 November 20178.9Elected or appointed under the constitution

Source: PollsAfrica government directory (current office holders, from official sources); Wikidata (birth dates and dates in office). Last checked 24 October 2026.

Each president's page

Paul Biya (Cameroon), Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové (Togo), Arthur Peter Mutharika (Malawi), Alassane Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Denis Sassou N'Guesso (Congo), Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Uganda), Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. (Liberia), Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Algeria), Isaias Afwerki (Eritrea), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Dharambeer Gokhool (Mauritius), Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan), Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Nigeria), Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (Namibia), Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço (Angola), Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (Egypt), Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia), Taye Atske Selassie (Ethiopia), Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani (Mauritania), Faustin-Archange Touadéra (Central African Republic), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Kaïs Saïed (Tunisia), John Dramani Mahama (Ghana), Azali Assoumani (Comoros), Carlos Manuel Vila Nova (São Tomé and Príncipe), Horta Inta-A (Guinea-Bissau), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), José Maria Pereira Neves (Cabo Verde), Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (Sudan), Abdourahamane Tiani (Niger), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia), Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Patrick Herminie (Seychelles), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), Adama Barrow (Gambia), William Samoei Ruto (Kenya), Evariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi), Duma Gideon Boko (Botswana), Michaël Randrianirina (Madagascar), Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (Gabon), Muhammad al-Manfi (Libya), Romuald Wadagni (Benin), Daniel Francisco Chapo (Mozambique), Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), Assimi Goïta (Mali), Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (Chad), Mamadi Doumbouya (Guinea), Ibrahim Traoré (Burkina Faso)

Notes on individual presidents

Africa's kings

Africa's three reigning monarchs are heads of state too, but they are not elected, so we keep them out of the presidents' ranking.

  • Mswati III, Eswatini: born 19 April 1968, on the throne since 25 April 1986.
  • Letsie III, Lesotho: born 17 July 1963, on the throne since 7 February 1996.
  • Mohammed VI, Morocco: born 21 August 1963, on the throne since 30 July 1999.

Method and sources

Who holds each office comes from our government directory, where every entry links to an official source such as a presidency or government website. Birth dates and the dates each president took office come from Wikidata, a free public database, and we compared them with our directory.

Where our directory gives a later date because a president started a new term, we use the day they first took office in their current, unbroken spell. Where a birth date has only ever been published as a year, we show the year and work the age out from it.

Ages and years in office on this page are worked out on the day you read it. We last checked who holds each office and every date on 24 October 2026.

More rankings

Frequently asked questions

Who is the oldest president in Africa?

Paul Biya of Cameroon, aged 93.

How many African presidents are 80 or older?

11 of the 51 presidents counted on this page.

What is the average age of African presidents?

The middle president of the 51 is 67 years old.

Where do the ages come from?

Birth dates come from Wikidata, compared with our government directory, and ages are worked out on the day you read the page.