List of French Prime Ministers by longevity

This is a list of French Prime Ministers by age, including when they were born, what age they were when they became Prime Minister, what age were they when they left the office and the age at which they died, or their current age as of 1 February 2021 if they are still alive. If the Prime Minister served multiple terms, the dates listed are for the first day of their first term, and the last day of their final term. The table can be sorted by each different category.

This list also includes any person who had been head of the French government prior to the formation of the Prime Minister's office (such as the Presidents of the Council of Ministers).

Overview

The median age of accession is roughly 53 years and 7 months, which falls between Charles de Gaulle and Casimir Perier. The youngest person to become Prime Minister was Laurent Fabius, at the age of 37 years, 332 days. The oldest person to become Prime Minister was Philippe Pétain, at the age of 84 years, 53 days.

The oldest living Prime Minister is Édouard Balladur (born 2 May 1929), at the age of 91 years, 275 days. The youngest living Prime Minister is Bernard Cazeneuve (born 2 June 1963), at the age of 57 years, 244 days.

The longest-lived Prime Minister was Antoine Pinay, who died at the age of 102 years, 348 days. As of 2013, Pinay is the only French Prime Minister to have reached 100 years of age. Joseph Paul-Boncour was the second longest-lived Prime Minister, at the age of 98 years, 237 days. The oldest living Prime Minister, Édouard Balladur, will tie Pinay if he lives to 14 April 2032. The shortest-lived Prime Minister was Léon Gambetta, who died at the age of 44 years, 273 days.

French Prime Minister's Ages

  Living
  Currently in Office

Prime Minister	Date of birth	Start date of (first) term	Age at beginning of (first) term	End date of (final) term	Total time in office	Date of death	Lifespan
Charles Talleyrand	2 February 1754	9 July 1815	61 years, 157 days	26 September 1815	79 days	17 May 1838	30,784 days (84 years, 104 days)
Armand-Emmanuel de Richelieu	25 September 1766	26 September 1815	49 years, 1 day	14 December 1821	1,853 days	17 May 1822	20,322 days (55 years, 234 days)
Jean-Joseph Dessolles	3 July 1767	29 December 1818	51 years, 179 days	19 November 1819	325 days	3 November 1828	22,403 days (61 years, 123 days)
Élie Decazes	28 September 1780	19 November 1819	39 years, 52 days	20 February 1820	93 days	24 October 1860	29,245 days (80 years, 26 days)
Jean-Baptiste de Villèle	14 April 1773	14 December 1821	48 years, 244 days	4 January 1828	2,212 days	13 March 1854	29,552 days (80 years, 333 days)
Jean-Baptiste de Martignac	20 June 1778	4 January 1828	49 years, 198 days	8 August 1829	582 days	3 April 1832	19,645 days (53 years, 288 days)
Jules de Polignac	14 May 1780	8 August 1829	49 years, 86 days	29 July 1830	355 days	2 March 1847	24,397 days (66 years, 292 days)
Victor de Broglie	28 November 1785	13 August 1830	44 years, 258 days	22 February 1836	428 days	25 January 1870	30,738 days (84 years, 58 days)
Jacques Laffitte	24 October 1767	2 November 1830	63 years, 9 days	13 March 1831	131 days	26 May 1844	27,973 days (76 years, 215 days)
Casimir Perier	11 October 1777	13 March 1831	53 years, 153 days	16 May 1832	430 days	16 May 1832	19,940 days (54 years, 218 days)
Nicolas Soult	29 March 1769	11 October 1832	63 years, 196 days	19 September 1847	3,455 days	26 November 1851	30,191 days (82 years, 242 days)
Étienne Gérard	4 April 1773	18 July 1834	61 years, 105 days	10 November 1834	115 days	17 April 1852	28,867 days (79 years, 13 days)
Hugues-Bernard Maret	1 May 1763	10 November 1834	71 years, 193 days	18 November 1834	8 days	13 May 1839	27,770 days (76 years, 12 days)
Édouard Mortier	13 February 1768	18 November 1834	66 years, 278 days	12 March 1835	114 days	28 July 1835	24,636 days (67 years, 165 days)
Adolphe Thiers	18 April 1797	22 February 1836	38 years, 310 days	29 October 1840	439 days	3 September 1877	29,357 days (80 years, 138 days)
Louis-Mathieu Molé	24 January 1781	6 September 1836	55 years, 226 days	24 February 1848	937 days	23 November 1855	27,330 days (74 years, 303 days)
François Guizot	4 October 1787	19 September 1847	59 years, 350 days	23 February 1848	157 days	12 September 1874	31,754 days (86 years, 343 days)
Jacques-Charles de l'Eure	27 February 1767	24 February 1848	80 years, 362 days	9 May 1848	75 days	3 March 1855	32,145 days (88 years, 4 days)
François Arago	26 February 1786	9 May 1848	62 years, 73 days	24 June 1848	46 days	2 October 1853	24,689 days (67 years, 218 days)
Louis-Eugène Cavaignac	15 October 1802	28 June 1848	45 years, 257 days	20 December 1848	175 days	28 October 1857	20,102 days (55 years, 13 days)
Odilon Barrot	19 July 1791	20 December 1848	57 years, 154 days	31 October 1849	315 days	6 August 1873	29,968 days (82 years, 18 days)
Alphonse d'Hautpoul	4 January 1789	31 October 1849	60 years, 300 days	10 April 1851	526 days	27 July 1865	27,962 days (76 years, 204 days)
Léon Faucher	8 September 1803	10 April 1851	47 years, 214 days	26 October 1851	199 days	14 December 1854	18,725 days (51 years, 97 days)
Émile Ollivier	2 July 1825	27 December 1869	44 years, 178 days	9 August 1870	225 days	20 August 1913	32,190 days (88 years, 49 days)
Charles Cousin-Montauban	24 June 1796	9 August 1870	74 years, 46 days	4 September 1870	26 days	8 January 1878	29,782 days (81 years, 198 days)
Louis Trochu	12 March 1815	4 September 1870	55 years, 176 days	22 January 1871	140 days	7 October 1896	29,795 days (81 years, 209 days)
Jules Dufaure	4 December 1798	19 February 1871	72 years, 77 days	4 February 1879	1,536 days	28 June 1881	30,156 days (82 years, 206 days)
Albert de Broglie	13 June 1821	24 May 1873	51 years, 345 days	23 November 1877	553 days	19 January 1901	29,074 days (79 years, 220 days)
Ernest de Cissey	12 September 1810	22 May 1874	63 years, 252 days	10 March 1875	292 days	15 June 1882	26,209 days (71 years, 276 days)
Louis Buffet	26 October 1818	10 March 1875	56 years, 135 days	23 February 1876	350 days	7 July 1898	29,109 days (79 years, 254 days)
Jules Simon	31 December 1814	12 December 1876	61 years, 347 days	17 May 1877	156 days	8 June 1896	29,745 days (81 years, 160 days)
Gaëtan de Rochebouët	16 March 1813	23 November 1877	64 years, 252 days	13 December 1877	20 days	23 February 1899	31,390 days (85 years, 344 days)
William Waddington	11 December 1826	4 February 1879	52 years, 55 days	28 December 1879	327 days	13 January 1894	24,505 days (67 years, 33 days)
Charles de Freycinet	14 November 1828	28 December 1879	51 years, 44 days	27 February 1892	1,514 days	14 May 1923	34,513 days (94 years, 181 days)
Jules Ferry	5 April 1832	23 September 1880	48 years, 171 days	6 April 1885	1,192 days	17 March 1893	22,261 days (60 years, 346 days)
Léon Gambetta	2 April 1838	14 November 1881	43 years, 226 days	30 January 1882	77 days	31 December 1882	16,344 days (44 years, 273 days)
Charles Duclerc	9 November 1812	7 August 1882	69 years, 271 days	29 January 1883	175 days	21 July 1888	27,648 days (75 years, 255 days)
Armand Fallières	6 November 1841	29 January 1883	41 years, 84 days	21 February 1883	23 days	22 June 1931	32,734 days (89 years, 228 days)
Henri Brisson	31 July 1835	6 April 1885	49 years, 249 days	1 November 1898	402 days	14 April 1912	28,016 days (76 years, 258 days)
René Goblet	26 November 1828	16 December 1886	58 years, 20 days	30 May 1887	165 days	13 September 1905	28,049 days (76 years, 291 days)
Maurice Rouvier	17 April 1842	30 May 1887	45 years, 43 days	12 March 1906	608 days	7 June 1911	25,252 days (69 years, 51 days)
Pierre Tirard	27 September 1827	12 December 1887	60 years, 76 days	17 March 1890	501 days	4 November 1893	24,145 days (66 years, 38 days)
Charles Floquet	2 October 1828	3 April 1888	59 years, 184 days	22 February 1889	325 days	18 January 1896	24,579 days (67 years, 108 days)
Émile Loubet	31 December 1838	27 February 1892	53 years, 58 days	6 December 1892	283 days	20 December 1929	33,226 days (90 years, 354 days)
Alexandre Ribot	7 February 1842	6 December 1892	50 years, 303 days	12 September 1917	578 days	13 January 1923	29,559 days (80 years, 340 days)
Charles Dupuy	5 November 1851	4 April 1893	41 years, 150 days	22 June 1899	717 days	23 July 1923	26,192 days (71 years, 260 days)
Jean Casimir-Perier	8 November 1847	3 December 1893	46 years, 25 days	30 May 1894	178 days	11 March 1907	21,672 days (59 years, 123 days)
Léon Bourgeois	21 May 1851	1 November 1895	44 years, 164 days	29 April 1896	180 days	29 September 1925	27,159 days (74 years, 131 days)
Jules Méline	20 May 1838	29 April 1896	57 years, 345 days	28 June 1898	790 days	21 December 1925	31,991 days (87 years, 215 days)
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau	2 December 1846	22 June 1899	52 years, 202 days	7 June 1902	1,080 days	10 August 1904	21,070 days (57 years, 252 days)
Émile Combes	6 September 1835	7 June 1902	66 years, 274 days	24 January 1905	962 days	25 May 1921	31,307 days (85 years, 261 days)
Ferdinand Sarrien	15 October 1840	12 March 1906	65 years, 148 days	25 October 1906	227 days	28 November 1915	27,436 days (75 years, 44 days)
Georges Clemenceau	28 September 1841	25 October 1906	65 years, 27 days	20 January 1920	1,798 days	24 November 1929	32,198 days (88 years, 57 days)
Aristide Briand	28 March 1862	24 July 1909	47 years, 118 days	2 November 1929	1,848 days	7 March 1932	25,546 days (69 years, 345 days)
Ernest Monis	23 May 1846	2 March 1911	64 years, 283 days	27 June 1911	117 days	25 May 1929	30,317 days (83 years, 2 days)
Joseph Caillaux	30 March 1863	27 June 1911	48 years, 89 days	21 January 1912	208 days	22 November 1944	29,822 days (81 years, 237 days)
Raymond Poincaré	20 August 1860	21 January 1912	51 years, 154 days	29 July 1929	2,343 days	15 October 1934	27,083 days (74 years, 56 days)
Louis Barthou	25 August 1862	22 March 1913	50 years, 209 days	9 December 1913	262 days	9 October 1934	26,342 days (72 years, 45 days)
Gaston Doumergue	1 August 1863	9 December 1913	50 years, 130 days	8 November 1934	454 days	18 June 1937	26,984 days (73 years, 321 days)
René Viviani	8 November 1863	13 June 1914	50 years, 217 days	29 October 1915	503 days	7 September 1925	22,583 days (61 years, 303 days)
Paul Painlevé	5 December 1863	12 September 1917	53 years, 281 days	28 November 1925	290 days	29 October 1933	25,530 days (69 years, 328 days)
Alexandre Millerand	10 February 1859	20 January 1920	60 years, 344 days	24 September 1920	248 days	7 April 1943	30,736 days (84 years, 56 days)
Georges Leygues	26 October 1857	24 September 1920	62 years, 334 days	16 January 1921	114 days	2 September 1933	27,704 days (75 years, 311 days)
Frédéric François-Marsal	16 March 1874	8 June 1924	50 years, 84 days	15 June 1924	7 days	20 May 1958	30,745 days (84 years, 65 days)
Édouard Herriot	5 July 1872	15 June 1924	51 years, 346 days	18 December 1932	507 days	26 March 1957	30,944 days (84 years, 264 days)
André Tardieu	22 September 1876	2 November 1929	53 years, 41 days	3 June 1932	501 days	15 September 1945	25,194 days (68 years, 358 days)
Camille Chautemps	1 February 1885	21 February 1930	45 years, 20 days	13 March 1938	338 days	1 July 1963	28,638 days (78 years, 150 days)
Théodore Steeg	19 December 1868	13 December 1930	61 years, 359 days	27 January 1931	45 days	19 December 1950	29,949 days (82 years, 0 days)
Pierre Laval	28 June 1883	27 January 1931	47 years, 213 days	20 August 1944	1,630 days	15 October 1945	22,754 days (62 years, 109 days)
Joseph Paul-Boncour	4 August 1873	18 December 1932	59 years, 136 days	31 January 1933	44 days	28 March 1972	36,030 days (98 years, 237 days)
Édouard Daladier	18 June 1884	31 January 1933	48 years, 227 days	21 March 1940	989 days	10 October 1970	31,524 days (86 years, 114 days)
Albert Sarraut	28 July 1872	26 October 1933	61 years, 90 days	4 June 1936	163 days	26 November 1962	32,992 days (90 years, 121 days)
Pierre-Étienne Flandin	12 April 1889	8 November 1934	45 years, 210 days	9 February 1941	263 days	13 June 1958	25,263 days (69 years, 62 days)
Fernand Bouisson	16 June 1874	1 June 1935	60 years, 350 days	7 June 1935	6 days	28 December 1959	31,240 days (85 years, 195 days)
Léon Blum	9 April 1872	4 June 1936	64 years, 56 days	22 January 1947	448 days	30 March 1950	28,478 days (77 years, 355 days)
Paul Reynaud	15 October 1878	21 March 1940	61 years, 158 days	16 June 1940	87 days	21 September 1966	32,117 days (87 years, 341 days)
Philippe Pétain	24 April 1856	16 June 1940	84 years, 53 days	11 July 1940	25 days	23 July 1951	34,787 days (95 years, 90 days)
François Darlan	7 August 1881	9 February 1941	59 years, 186 days	18 April 1942	433 days	24 December 1942	22,418 days (61 years, 139 days)
Charles de Gaulle	22 November 1890	20 August 1944	53 years, 272 days	8 January 1959	739 days	9 November 1970	29,206 days (79 years, 352 days)
Félix Gouin	4 October 1884	26 January 1946	61 years, 114 days	24 June 1946	149 days	25 October 1977	33,988 days (93 years, 21 days)
Georges Bidault	5 October 1899	24 June 1946	46 years, 262 days	2 July 1950	404 days	27 January 1983	30,429 days (83 years, 114 days)
Vincent Auriol	27 August 1884	28 November 1946	62 years, 93 days	16 December 1946	18 days	1 January 1966	29,711 days (81 years, 127 days)
Paul Ramadier	17 March 1888	22 January 1947	58 years, 311 days	24 November 1947	306 days	14 October 1961	26,873 days (73 years, 211 days)
Robert Schuman	29 June 1886	24 November 1947	61 years, 148 days	11 September 1948	251 days	4 September 1963	28,190 days (77 years, 67 days)
André Marie	3 December 1897	26 July 1948	50 years, 236 days	5 September 1948	41 days	12 June 1974	27,949 days (76 years, 191 days)
Henri Queuille	31 March 1884	11 September 1948	64 years, 164 days	11 August 1951	576 days	15 June 1970	31,486 days (86 years, 76 days)
René Pleven	15 April 1901	12 July 1950	49 years, 88 days	20 January 1952	403 days	13 January 1993	33,511 days (91 years, 273 days)
Edgar Faure	18 August 1908	20 January 1952	43 years, 155 days	1 February 1956	391 days	30 March 1988	29,079 days (79 years, 225 days)
Antoine Pinay	30 December 1891	8 March 1952	60 years, 69 days	8 January 1953	306 days	13 December 1994	37,603 days (102 years, 348 days)
René Mayer	4 May 1895	8 January 1953	57 years, 249 days	28 June 1953	171 days	13 December 1972	28,347 days (77 years, 223 days)
Joseph Laniel	12 October 1889	28 June 1953	63 years, 259 days	18 June 1954	355 days	8 April 1975	31,223 days (85 years, 178 days)
Pierre Mendès-France	11 January 1907	18 June 1954	47 years, 158 days	23 February 1955	250 days	18 October 1982	27,674 days (75 years, 280 days)
Guy Mollet	31 December 1905	1 February 1956	50 years, 32 days	13 June 1957	498 days	3 October 1975	25,478 days (69 years, 276 days)
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury	19 August 1914	13 June 1957	42 years, 298 days	6 November 1957	146 days	10 February 1993	28,665 days (78 years, 175 days)
Félix Gaillard	5 November 1919	6 November 1957	38 years, 1 day	14 May 1958	189 days	10 July 1970	18,510 days (50 years, 247 days)
Pierre Pflimlin	5 February 1907	14 May 1958	51 years, 98 days	1 June 1958	18 days	27 June 2000	34,111 days (93 years, 143 days)
Michel Debré	15 January 1912	8 January 1959	46 years, 358 days	14 April 1962	1,192 days	2 August 1996	30,881 days (84 years, 200 days)
Georges Pompidou	5 July 1911	14 April 1962	50 years, 283 days	10 July 1968	2,279 days	2 April 1974	22,917 days (62 years, 271 days)
Maurice de Murville	24 January 1907	10 July 1968	61 years, 168 days	20 June 1969	345 days	24 December 1999	33,937 days (92 years, 334 days)
Jacques Chaban-Delmas	7 March 1915	20 June 1969	54 years, 105 days	6 July 1972	1,112 days	10 November 2000	31,295 days (85 years, 248 days)
Pierre Messmer	20 March 1916	6 July 1972	56 years, 108 days	27 May 1974	690 days	29 August 2007	33,399 days (91 years, 162 days)
Jacques Chirac	29 November 1932	27 May 1974	41 years, 179 days	10 May 1988	1,604 days	26 September 2019	31,712 days (86 years, 301 days)
Raymond Barre	12 April 1924	26 August 1976	52 years, 136 days	22 May 1981	1,730 days	25 August 2007	30,450 days (83 years, 135 days)
Pierre Mauroy	5 July 1928	22 May 1981	52 years, 321 days	17 July 1984	1,152 days	7 June 2013	31,018 days (84 years, 337 days)
Laurent Fabius	20 August 1946	17 July 1984	37 years, 332 days	20 March 1986	611 days		27,194 days (74 years, 165 days)
Michel Rocard	23 August 1930	10 May 1988	57 years, 261 days	15 May 1991	1,100 days	2 July 2016	31,360 days (85 years, 314 days)
Édith Cresson	27 January 1934	15 May 1991	57 years, 108 days	2 April 1992	323 days		31,782 days (87 years, 5 days)
Pierre Bérégovoy	23 December 1925	2 April 1992	66 years, 101 days	29 March 1993	361 days	1 May 1993	24,601 days (67 years, 129 days)
Édouard Balladur	2 May 1929	29 March 1993	63 years, 331 days	18 May 1995	780 days		33,513 days (91 years, 275 days)
Alain Juppé	15 August 1945	18 May 1995	49 years, 276 days	3 June 1997	747 days		27,564 days (75 years, 170 days)
Lionel Jospin	12 July 1937	3 June 1997	59 years, 326 days	6 May 2002	1,798 days		30,520 days (83 years, 204 days)
Jean-Pierre Raffarin	3 August 1948	6 May 2002	53 years, 276 days	31 May 2005	1,121 days		26,480 days (72 years, 182 days)
Dominique de Villepin	14 November 1953	31 May 2005	51 years, 198 days	17 May 2007	716 days		24,551 days (67 years, 79 days)
François Fillon	4 March 1954	17 May 2007	53 years, 74 days	16 May 2012	1,826 days		24,441 days (66 years, 334 days)
Jean-Marc Ayrault	25 January 1950	16 May 2012	62 years, 112 days	31 March 2014	684 days		25,940 days (71 years, 7 days)
Manuel Valls	13 August 1962	31 March 2014	51 years, 230 days	6 December 2016	981 days		21,357 days (58 years, 172 days)
Bernard Cazeneuve	2 June 1963	6 December 2016	53 years, 187 days	15 May 2017	162 days		21,064 days (57 years, 244 days)
Édouard Philippe	28 November 1970	17 May 2017	46 years, 170 days	3 July 2020	1,143 days		18,328 days (50 years, 65 days)
Jean Castex	25 June 1965	3 July 2020	55 years, 8 days	Incumbent	213 days		20,310 days (55 years, 221 days)
Prime Minister	Date of birth	Start date of (first) term	Age at beginning of (first) term	End date of (final) term	Total time in office	Date of death	Lifespan

See also

• Prime Minister of France
• Politics of France
• List of Prime Ministers of France

References