June 10, 2026 6:31 p.m
United States President Donald Trump, who will celebrate his 80th birthday on Sunday by organizing a UFC fight on the White House lawn, is among the oldest heads of state in the world, according to a Pew Research Center analysis published on Tuesday.
According to the data, only 16 leaders out of a total of 186 member states of the United Nations are older than Trump. At the top of the list are Cameroonian President Paul Biya (Paul Biya, 93) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (90).
Seven of the ten oldest world leaders come from African countries – Cameroon, Malawi, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Of the 16 heads of state who are older than Trump, nearly half lead countries that Freedom House classifies as “unfree” based on the political rights and civil liberties of their residents.
Americans would prefer a younger president
A 2023 Pew Center survey found that Trump, who at 78 became the oldest person to be inaugurated as US president, is not in the age group that most Americans consider ideal for the position.
The largest number of respondents, 49 percent, believe that the ideal president should be in his fifties. 24 percent of them prefer a candidate in their sixties, while only three percent of respondents stated that they would like a president older than 70 years.
A large majority of Americans, 79 percent of them, support the introduction of age limits for elected officials, although the US Constitution does not currently prescribe a maximum age limit for the office of president.
The youngest leader is 36 years old
The youngest world leader is the 36-year-old Prime Minister of Nepal, Balen Shah, who was also known as a rapper before entering politics.
Shah was elected after youth-led protests that led to the removal of the previous government.
Questions about health and fitness for duty
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has been followed by questions about his health and ability to perform the function of president.
After his inauguration in January 2025, he became the oldest president in the history of the USA to take office.
Media reports and photos in recent months noted bruises on his arm, swelling on his legs and a rash on his neck, which his doctors attributed to age-related health problems.
The White House has confirmed that he has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common circulatory disease in the elderly, but insists that the president is in good health and fit for duty.
Trump also faces criticism for limited transparency when it comes to medical examinations. Although he had four systematic examinations during his second term, reports on his health generally contain few details.
Critics have repeatedly questioned his cognitive abilities, pointing to verbal errors, unusual public statements, late-night posts on social media, mood swings and signs of fatigue. Among them is the recent event at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York’s Madison Square Garden, when some media outlets claimed he dozed off during the match.
Trump replied that he did not sleep, but that he kept his eyes closed for a long time because, as he said, it was “very relaxing”.
“My health is perfect”
To questions about his age and health, Trump mostly answers claims that he is unusually energetic for his age.
At the beginning of the year, he told reporters that his “health is perfect,” and after an examination at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in May, he wrote on social networks that “everything went PERFECT.”
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes
There Are Only 16 (Out Of 186) World Leaders Older Than Trump
