One in ten people are older than 65. Three in four live under a leader who is
This article analyzes the global trend of aging political leadership, noting that most of the world's population is governed by individuals over the age of 65. The author uses data to highlight the significant age gap between leaders and their constituents, particularly in countries like Cameroon.
Why it matters
The disconnect between aging leaders and younger populations raises questions about representation, policy priorities, and the long-term sustainability of current governance models.
Paul Biya, Cameroon’s president, is 93 years old. He leads a country where the median age is just 18. A staggering 75-year age gap.
Biya is the most extreme example, but he reflects a pattern we see almost everywhere in the world. Leaders are often a lot older than the populations they govern. Three in four people globally live in a country led by someone over 65. Two in three have a leader older than 70. Most of the world lives under a leader who is past the age when most people retire.
With some help from Claude, I’ve compiled a dataset on the age of each country’s current leader and how long they’ve been in power across more than 140 countries. 1 The leader, here, is the person with the main executive power. This can be the prime minister, president, or monarch. 2
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