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, their longevity is measured up to 3 February 2021.

Overview

The median age upon accession to the premiership is 53 years and 100 days, which falls between Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (23rd) and Margaret Thatcher (24th). The youngest Prime Minister to assume office was William Pitt the Younger (aged 24 years, 205 days). The youngest prime minister to leave office was Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (aged 34 years, 122 days). The oldest prime minister to assume office for the first time was Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (aged 70 years, 109 days). The oldest prime minister to be appointed overall was William Ewart Gladstone (aged 82 years, 230 days) when he was appointed for the fourth and final time on 15 August 1892. Gladstone was also the oldest prime minister to leave office (aged 84 years, 63 days) at his final retirement on 2 March 1894.

There are currently six living British prime ministers including incumbent Boris Johnson.

The oldest living former prime minister is John Major, born 29 March 1943 (aged 77 years, 311 days). Gordon Brown is the second-oldest, 7 years and 328 days younger than Major. Brown was born on 20 February 1951 (aged 69 years, 349 days).

The youngest living former prime minister is David Cameron, born 9 October 1966 (aged 54 years, 117 days). Theresa May is the second-youngest, 10 years and 8 days older than Cameron. May was born on 1 October 1956 (aged 64 years, 125 days).

The longest-lived prime minister, James Callaghan, died on the eve of his 93rd birthday on 26 March 2005. Harold Macmillan was the second-longest-lived, 42 days short of Callaghan. The shortest-lived prime minister, William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, was 44 years and 147 days old when he died on 2 October 1764.

The prime minister with the longest retirement is Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, at 41 years and 45 days. He achieved this record on 1 January 1799, surpassing John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, who died 28 years, 337 days after leaving office. Bute held the record for nearly 22 years. The longest retirement any prime minister since Grafton has held is that of Henry Addington, who left office on 10 May 1804 and died 39 years and 281 days later on 15 February 1844. Of the five former prime ministers currently alive, John Major has been retired the longest, with a retirement of 23 years, 277 days having left office on 2 May 1997. The prime minister with the shortest retirement is Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who died only 15 days after leaving office.

Four British prime ministers have lived into their nineties. They are (in order of birth):

• 
  Winston Churchill (1874–1965)
• 
  Harold Macmillan (1894–1986)
• 
  Alec Douglas-Home (1903–1995)
• 
  James Callaghan (1912–2005)

List of prime ministers

  Living
  Currently in Office

• ^a indicates the prime minister died in office

No.	Name	Born	Date of appointment (first)	Age	End Service (final)	Age	Post–Premiership	Death	Lifespan
1	Robert Walpole	26 August 1676	3 April 1721	44 years, 220 days	11 February 1742	65 years, 169 days	3 years, 35 days	18 March 1745	68 years, 204 days (25,040 days)
2	Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington	1673	16 February 1742	68–69 years	2 July 1743	N/A	N/A	2 July 1743^a	69–70 years (25,577 days)
3	Henry Pelham	25 September 1694	27 August 1743	48 years, 336 days	6 March 1754	N/A	N/A	6 March 1754^a	59 years, 162 days (21,711 days)
4	Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle	21 July 1693	16 March 1754	60 years, 238 days	26 May 1762	68 years, 309 days	6 years, 175 days	17 November 1768	75 years, 119 days (27,512 days)
5	William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire	8 May 1720	16 November 1756	36 years, 192 days	29 June 1757	37 years, 52 days	7 years, 95 days	2 October 1764	44 years, 147 days (16,218 days)
6	John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute	25 May 1713	26 May 1762	49 years, 1 day	8 April 1763	49 years, 318 days	28 years, 337 days	10 March 1792	78 years, 290 days (28,779 days)
7	George Grenville	14 October 1712	16 April 1763	50 years, 184 days	10 July 1765	52 years, 269 days	5 years, 126 days	13 November 1770	58 years, 30 days (21,214 days)
8	Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham	13 May 1730	13 July 1765	35 years, 61 days	1 July 1782	N/A	N/A	1 July 1782^a	52 years, 49 days (19,042 days)
9	William Pitt the Elder	15 November 1708	30 July 1766	57 years, 257 days	14 October 1768	59 years, 334 days	9 years, 209 days	11 May 1778	69 years, 177 days (25,379 days)
10	Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton	28 September 1735	14 October 1768	33 years, 16 days	28 January 1770	34 years, 122 days	41 years, 45 days	14 March 1811	75 years, 167 days (27,560 days)
11	Frederick North, Lord North	13 April 1732	28 January 1770	37 years, 290 days	27 March 1782	49 years, 348 days	10 years, 131 days	5 August 1792	60 years, 114 days (22,029 days)
12	William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne	2 May 1737	4 July 1782	45 years, 63 days	26 March 1783	45 years, 328 days	22 years, 42 days	7 May 1805	68 years, 5 days (24,841 days)
13	William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland	14 April 1738	2 April 1783	44 years, 353 days	4 October 1809	71 years, 173 days	26 days	30 October 1809	71 years, 199 days (26,131 days)
14	William Pitt the Younger	28 May 1759	19 December 1783	24 years, 205 days	23 January 1806	N/A	N/A	23 January 1806^a	46 years, 240 days (17,041 days)
15	Henry Addington	30 May 1757	17 March 1801	43 years, 291 days	10 May 1804	46 years, 346 days	39 years, 281 days	15 February 1844	86 years, 261 days (31,671 days)
16	William Grenville	25 October 1759	11 February 1806	46 years, 109 days	25 March 1807	47 years, 151 days	26 years, 293 days	12 January 1834	74 years, 79 days (27,107 days)
17	Spencer Perceval	1 November 1762	4 October 1809	46 years, 337 days	11 May 1812	N/A	N/A	11 May 1812^a	49 years, 192 days (18,078 days)
18	Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool	7 June 1770	8 June 1812	42 years, 1 day	9 April 1827	56 years, 306 days	1 year, 239 days	4 December 1828	58 years, 180 days (21,364 days)
19	George Canning	11 April 1770	12 April 1827	57 years, 1 day	8 August 1827	N/A	N/A	8 August 1827^a	57 years, 119 days (20,937 days)
20	F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich	1 November 1782	31 August 1827	44 years, 303 days	8 January 1828	45 years, 68 days	31 years, 20 days	28 January 1859	76 years, 88 days (27,846 days)
21	Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington	1 May 1769	22 January 1828	58 years, 266 days	9 December 1834	65 years, 222 days	17 years, 280 days	14 September 1852	83 years, 136 days (30,451 days)
22	Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey	13 March 1764	22 November 1830	66 years, 254 days	9 July 1834	70 years, 118 days	11 years, 8 days	17 July 1845	81 years, 126 days (29,710 days)
23	William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne	15 March 1779	16 July 1834	55 years, 123 days	30 August 1841	62 years, 168 days	7 years, 86 days	24 November 1848	69 years, 254 days (25,456 days)
24	Robert Peel	5 February 1788	10 December 1834	46 years, 308 days	29 June 1846	58 years, 144 days	4 years, 3 days	2 July 1850	62 years, 147 days (22,792 days)
25	Lord John Russell	18 August 1792	30 June 1846	53 years, 316 days	26 June 1866	73 years, 312 days	11 years, 336 days	28 May 1878	85 years, 283 days (31,328 days)
26	Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby	29 March 1799	23 February 1852	52 years, 331 days	25 February 1868	68 years, 333 days	1 year, 240 days	23 October 1869	70 years, 208 days (25,775 days)
27	George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen	28 January 1784	19 December 1852	68 years, 326 days	30 January 1855	71 years, 2 days	5 years, 319 days	14 December 1860	76 years, 321 days (28,079 days)
28	Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston	20 October 1784	6 February 1855	70 years, 109 days	18 October 1865	N/A	N/A	18 October 1865^a	80 years, 363 days (29,582 days)
29	Benjamin Disraeli	21 December 1804	27 February 1868	63 years, 68 days	21 April 1880	75 years, 122 days	363 days	19 April 1881	76 years, 119 days (27,878 days)
30	William Ewart Gladstone	29 December 1809	3 December 1868	58 years, 340 days	2 March 1894	84 years, 63 days	4 years, 78 days	19 May 1898	88 years, 141 days (32,283 days)
31	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury	3 February 1830	23 June 1885	55 years, 140 days	11 July 1902	72 years, 158 days	1 year, 42 days	22 August 1903	73 years, 200 days (26,862 days)
32	Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery	7 May 1847	5 March 1894	46 years, 302 days	22 June 1895	48 years, 46 days	33 years, 333 days	21 May 1929	82 years, 14 days (29,964 days)
33	Arthur Balfour	25 July 1848	12 July 1902	53 years, 352 days	4 December 1905	57 years, 132 days	24 years, 105 days	19 March 1930	81 years, 237 days (29,821 days)
34	Henry Campbell-Bannerman	7 September 1836	5 December 1905	69 years, 89 days	5 April 1908	71 years, 211 days	17 days	22 April 1908	71 years, 228 days (26,159 days)
35	H. H. Asquith	12 September 1852	5 April 1908	55 years, 206 days	5 December 1916	64 years, 84 days	11 years, 72 days	15 February 1928	75 years, 156 days (27,548 days)
36	David Lloyd George	17 January 1863	6 December 1916	53 years, 324 days	22 October 1922	59 years, 278 days	22 years, 155 days	26 March 1945	82 years, 68 days (30,018 days)
37	Bonar Law	16 September 1858	23 October 1922	64 years, 37 days	20 May 1923	64 years, 246 days	163 days	30 October 1923	65 years, 44 days (23,784 days)
38	Stanley Baldwin	3 August 1867	22 May 1923	55 years, 292 days	28 May 1937	69 years, 298 days	10 years, 200 days	14 December 1947	80 years, 133 days (29,352 days)
39	Ramsay MacDonald	12 October 1866	22 January 1924	57 years, 102 days	7 June 1935	68 years, 238 days	2 years, 155 days	9 November 1937	71 years, 28 days (25,960 days)
40	Neville Chamberlain	18 March 1869	28 May 1937	68 years, 71 days	10 May 1940	71 years, 53 days	183 days	9 November 1940	71 years, 236 days (26,168 days)
41	Winston Churchill	30 November 1874	10 May 1940	65 years, 162 days	5 April 1955	80 years, 126 days	9 years, 294 days	24 January 1965	90 years, 55 days (32,927 days)
42	Clement Attlee	3 January 1883	26 July 1945	62 years, 204 days	26 October 1951	68 years, 296 days	15 years, 347 days	8 October 1967	84 years, 278 days (30,958 days)
43	Anthony Eden	12 June 1897	6 April 1955	57 years, 298 days	9 January 1957	59 years, 211 days	20 years, 5 days	14 January 1977	79 years, 216 days (29,070 days)
44	Harold Macmillan	10 February 1894	10 January 1957	62 years, 335 days	18 October 1963	69 years, 250 days	23 years, 72 days	29 December 1986	92 years, 322 days (33,924 days)
45	Alec Douglas-Home	2 July 1903	19 October 1963	60 years, 109 days	16 October 1964	61 years, 106 days	30 years, 358 days	9 October 1995	92 years, 99 days (33,702 days)
46	Harold Wilson	11 March 1916	16 October 1964	48 years, 219 days	5 April 1976	60 years, 25 days	19 years, 49 days	24 May 1995	79 years, 74 days (28,928 days)
47	Edward Heath	9 July 1916	19 June 1970	53 years, 345 days	4 March 1974	57 years, 238 days	31 years, 135 days	17 July 2005	89 years, 8 days (32,515 days)
48	James Callaghan	27 March 1912	5 April 1976	64 years, 9 days	4 May 1979	67 years, 38 days	25 years, 326 days	26 March 2005	92 years, 364 days (33,967 days)
49	Margaret Thatcher	13 October 1925	4 May 1979	53 years, 203 days	28 November 1990	65 years, 46 days	22 years, 131 days	8 April 2013	87 years, 177 days (31,954 days)
50	John Major	29 March 1943	28 November 1990	47 years, 244 days	2 May 1997	54 years, 34 days	23 years, 277 days		77 years, 311 days (28,436 days)
51	Tony Blair	6 May 1953	2 May 1997	43 years, 361 days	27 June 2007	54 years, 52 days	13 years, 221 days		67 years, 273 days (24,745 days)
52	Gordon Brown	20 February 1951	27 June 2007	56 years, 127 days	11 May 2010	59 years, 80 days	10 years, 268 days		69 years, 349 days (25,551 days)
53	David Cameron	9 October 1966	11 May 2010	43 years, 214 days	13 July 2016	49 years, 278 days	4 years, 205 days		54 years, 117 days (19,841 days)
54	Theresa May	1 October 1956	13 July 2016	59 years, 286 days	24 July 2019	62 years, 296 days	1 year, 194 days		64 years, 125 days (23,501 days)
55	Boris Johnson	19 June 1964	24 July 2019	55 years, 35 days	Incumbent	Incumbent	Incumbent		56 years, 229 days (20,683 days)
No.	Name	Born	Date (first appointment)	Age	End of Service	Age	Post–Premiership	Date of death	Lifespan

Oldest-living prime ministers

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 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 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. Harold Wilson who died on 24 May 1995 at 79 years and 74 days old, is the most recent prime minister to die without ever acquiring this distinction.

Prime Minister	Time as Oldest Living		Age		Duration (years, days)
	Became oldest	Ceased to be oldest	On start day	At death
Robert Walpole	3 April 1721	11 February 1742	44 years, 220 days	65 years, 169 days	20 years, 314 days
Earl of Wilmington	11 February 1742	2 July 1743	69	70	1 year, 141 days
Robert Walpole	2 July 1743	18 March 1745	66 years, 310 days	68 years, 204 days	1 year, 259 days
Henry Pelham	18 March 1745	6 March 1754	50 years, 174 days	59 years, 162 days	8 years, 353 days
Duke of Newcastle	16 March 1754	17 November 1768	60 years, 238 days	75 years, 119 days	14 years, 246 days
Earl of Chatham	17 November 1768	11 May 1778	60 years, 2 days	69 years, 177 days	9 years, 175 days
Earl of Bute	11 May 1778	10 March 1792	64 years, 351 days	78 years, 290 days	13 years, 304 days
Lord North	10 March 1792	5 August 1792	59 years, 332 days	60 years, 114 days	148 days
Duke of Grafton	5 August 1792	14 March 1811	56 years, 312 days	75 years, 167 days	18 years, 221 days
Henry Addington	14 March 1811	15 February 1844	53 years, 288 days	86 years, 261 days	32 years, 338 days
Earl Grey	15 February 1844	17 July 1845	79 years, 339 days	81 years, 126 days	1 year, 152 days
Duke of Wellington	17 July 1845	14 September 1852	76 years, 77 days	83 years, 136 days	7 years, 59 days
Viscount Goderich	14 September 1852	28 January 1859	69 years, 318 days	76 years, 88 days	6 years, 136 days
Earl of Aberdeen	28 January 1859	14 December 1860	75 years, 0 days	76 years, 321 days	1 year, 321 days
Viscount Palmerston	14 December 1860	18 October 1865	76 years, 55 days	80 years, 363 days	4 years, 308 days
Lord John Russell	18 October 1865	28 May 1878	73 years, 61 days	85 years, 283 days	12 years, 222 days
Benjamin Disraeli	28 May 1878	19 April 1881	73 years, 158 days	76 years, 119 days	2 years, 326 days
William Ewart Gladstone	19 April 1881	19 May 1898	71 years, 111 days	88 years, 141 days	17 years, 30 days
Marquess of Salisbury	19 May 1898	22 August 1903	68 years, 105 days	73 years, 200 days	5 years, 95 days
Earl of Rosebery	22 August 1903	5 December 1905	56 years, 107 days	58 years, 212 days	2 years, 105 days
Henry Campbell-Bannerman	5 December 1905	22 April 1908	69 years, 89 days	71 years, 228 days	2 years, 139 days
Earl of Rosebery	22 April 1908	21 May 1929	60 years, 351 days	82 years, 14 days	21 years, 29 days
Arthur Balfour	21 May 1929	19 March 1930	80 years, 300 days	81 years, 237 days	302 days
David Lloyd George	19 March 1930	26 March 1945	67 years, 61 days	82 years, 68 days	15 years, 7 days
Stanley Baldwin	26 March 1945	14 December 1947	77 years, 235 days	80 years, 133 days	2 years, 263 days
Winston Churchill	14 December 1947	24 January 1965	73 years, 14 days	90 years, 55 days	17 years, 41 days
Clement Attlee	24 January 1965	8 October 1967	82 years, 21 days	84 years, 278 days	2 years, 257 days
Harold Macmillan	8 October 1967	29 December 1986	73 years, 240 days	92 years, 322 days	19 years, 82 days
Alec Douglas-Home	29 December 1986	9 October 1995	83 years, 180 days	92 years, 99 days	8 years, 284 days
James Callaghan	9 October 1995	26 March 2005	83 years, 196 days	92 years, 364 days	9 years, 168 days
Edward Heath	26 March 2005	17 July 2005	88 years, 260 days	89 years, 8 days	113 days
Margaret Thatcher	17 July 2005	8 April 2013	79 years, 277 days	87 years, 177 days	7 years, 265 days
John Major	8 April 2013	Current oldest living PM	70 years, 10 days	Current oldest living PM	7 years, 301 days
Prime Minister	Time as Oldest Living		Age		Duration (years, days)

See also

• Timeline of prime ministers of the United Kingdom
• List of presidents of the United States by age
• Lifespan timeline of presidents of the United States