List of Ghana heads of state by age
This is a list of Ghanaian heads of state by age. This table can be sorted to display Ghanaian Presidents by name, order of office, date of birth, age at inauguration, length of retirement, or lifespan.
Two measures of longevity are given; this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each President. 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 years being the number of whole years the President lived, and the days being the remaining number of days after his last birthday. Where the president in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to 8 May 2024.
Overview[edit]
The median age of accession is roughly 50 years and 296 days, which falls between Kwame Nkrumah and John Dramani Mahama. The youngest person to become president was Jerry Rawlings (age 31 years, 347 days). The oldest president to become president was Nana Akufo-Addo (age 72 years, 284 days).
The oldest living former president is John Kufuor, born 8 December 1938 (aged 85 years, 152 days). The youngest living former president is John Dramani Mahama, born 29 November 1958 (aged 65 years, 161 days).
The longest-lived president is John Kufuor, who is currently aged 85 years, 152 days. The second-longest lived president is the incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo who is currently aged 80 years, 40 days. The oldest president to die was Joseph Arthur Ankrah who died at the age of 77 years and 215 days. Kufuor and Akufo-Addo surpassed Ankrah's lifespan on 17 March 2016, and 6 July 2021 respectively. The shortest lived was Fred Akuffo, who died at the age of 42 years and 97 days.
Ghanaian Presidents' ages[edit]
| # |
President |
Date of birth |
Date of inauguration |
Age at (first) inauguration |
End of term |
Age at end of (final) term |
Length of retirement |
Date of death |
Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kwame Nkrumah | 21 September 1909 | 1 July 1960 | 50 years, 284 days | 24 February 1966 | 56 years, 156 days | 6 years, 63 days | 27 April 1972 | 62 years, 219 days |
| 2 | Joseph Arthur Ankrah | 18 August 1915 | 24 February 1966 | 50 years, 190 days | 2 April 1969 | 53 years, 227 days | 23 years, 237 days | 25 November 1992 | 77 years, 99 days |
| 3 | Akwasi Afrifa | 24 April 1936 | 2 April 1969 | 32 years, 343 days | 7 August 1970 | 34 years, 105 days | 8 years, 323 days | 26 June 1979 | 43 years, 63 days |
| 4 | Edward Akufo-Addo | 26 June 1906 | 31 August 1970 | 64 years, 66 days | 13 January 1972 | 65 years, 201 days | 7 years, 185 days | 17 July 1979 | 73 years, 21 days |
| 5 | Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | 23 September 1931 | 13 January 1972 | 40 years, 112 days | 5 July 1978 | 46 years, 285 days | 346 days | 16 June 1979 | 47 years, 266 days |
| 6 | Fred Akuffo | 21 March 1937 | 5 July 1978 | 41 years, 106 days | 4 June 1979 | 42 years, 75 days | 22 days | 26 June 1979 | 42 years, 97 days |
| 7 | Jerry Rawlings | 22 June 1947 | 4 June 1979 | 31 years, 347 days | 7 January 2001 | 53 years, 199 days | 19 years, 310 days | 12 November 2020 | 73 years, 143 days |
| 8 | Hilla Limann | 12 December 1934 | 24 September 1979 | 44 years, 286 days | 31 December 1981 | 47 years, 19 days | 16 years, 23 days | 23 January 1998 | 63 years, 42 days |
| 9 | John Kufuor | 8 December 1938 | 7 January 2001 | 62 years, 30 days | 7 January 2009 | 70 years, 30 days | 15 years, 122 days | 85 years, 152 days | |
| 10 | John Atta Mills | 21 July 1944 | 7 January 2009 | 64 years, 170 days | 24 July 2012 | 68 years, 3 days | N/A | 24 July 2012 | 68 years, 3 days |
| 11 | John Dramani Mahama | 29 November 1958 | 24 July 2012 | 53 years, 238 days | 7 January 2017 | 58 years, 39 days | 7 years, 122 days | (65 years, 161 days) | |
| 12 | Nana Akufo-Addo | 29 March 1944 | 7 January 2017 | 72 years, 284 days | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | (80 years, 40 days) | |
| # |
President |
Date of birth |
Date of inauguration |
Age at (first) inauguration |
End of term |
Age at end of (final) term |
Length of retirement |
Date of death |
Lifespan |
Timeline of living presidents[edit]
This is a chronological list of all who served as the Head of State of Ghana and were still living, at different periods in history. There have been two time periods when there only one living president, first beginning with the appointment of Kwame Nkrumah in 1960 and most recently during the administration of Jerry Rawlings following the 1998 death of Hilla Limann.
There has been one time periods when 6 living current or former presidents co-existed. This period was a 12 day period from the 4 June 1979 inauguration of Jerry Rawlings to the 16 June 1979 death of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. .
If one includes future presidents as well as past and current presidents, there has been only one time period when all 12 presidents co-existed.
| Start | End | Start event | Interval | End event | Living presidents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 1960 | 24 February 1966 | Inauguration of Kwame Nkrumah | 5 years, 238 days | Inauguration of Joseph Arthur Ankrah | 1 | Nkrumah |
| 24 February 1966 | 2 April 1969 | Inauguration of Joseph Arthur Ankrah | 3 years, 37 days | Inauguration of Akwasi Afrifa | 2 | Nkrumah Ankrah |
| 2 April 1969 | 7 August 1970 | Inauguration of Akwasi Afrifa | 113 days | Inauguration of Edward Akufo-Addo | 3 | Nkrumah Ankrah Afrifa |
| 7 August 1970 | 13 January 1972 | Inauguration of Edward Akufo-Addo | Error: Need valid year, month, day | Inauguration of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | 4 | Nkrumah Ankrah Afrifa E. Akufo-Addo |
| 13 January 1972 | 27 April 1972 | Inauguration of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | 105 days | Death of Kwame Nkrumah | 5 | Nkrumah Ankrah Afrifa E. Akufo-Addo Acheampong |
| 27 April 1972 | 5 July 1978 | Death of Kwame Nkrumah | 6 years, 69 days | Inauguration of Fred Akuffo | 4 | Ankrah Afrifa E. Akufo-Addo Acheampong |
| 5 July 1978 | 4 June 1979 | Inauguration of Fred Akuffo | 334 days | Inauguration of Jerry Rawlings | 5 | Ankrah Afrifa E. Akufo-Addo Acheampong Akuffo |
| 4 June 1979 | 16 June 1979 | Inauguration of Jerry Rawlings | 12 days | Death of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | 6 | Ankrah Afrifa E. Akufo-Addo Acheampong Akuffo Rawlings |
| 16 June 1979 | 26 June 1979 | Death of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | 10 days | Deaths of Akwasi Afrifa and Fred Akuffo | 5 | Ankrah Afrifa E. Akufo-Addo Akuffo Rawlings |
| 26 June 1979 | 17 July 1979 | Deaths of Akwasi Afrifa and Fred Akuffo | 21 days | Death of Edward Akufo-Addo | 3 | Ankrah E. Akufo-Addo Rawlings |
| 17 July 1979 | 24 September 1979 | Death of Edward Akufo-Addo | 69 days | Inauguration of Hilla Limann | 2 | Ankrah Rawlings |
| 24 September 1979 | 25 November 1992 | Inauguration of Hilla Limann | 13 years, 62 days | Death of Joseph Arthur Ankrah | 3 | Ankrah Rawlings Limann |
| 25 November 1992 | 23 January 1998 | Death of Joseph Arthur Ankrah | −63 years, 34 days | Death of Hilla Limann | 2 | Rawlings Limann |
| 23 January 1998 | 7 January 2001 | Death of Hilla Limann | 71 years, 77 days | Inauguration of John Kufuor | 1 | Rawlings |
| 7 January 2001 | 7 January 2009 | Inauguration of John Kufuor | 8 years, 0 days | Inauguration of John Atta Mills | 2 | Rawlings Kufuor |
| 7 January 2009 | 24 July 2012 | Inauguration of John Atta Mills | 3 years, 199 days | Death of John Atta Mills | 3 | Rawlings Kufuor Mills |
| 24 July 2012 | 7 January 2017 | Inauguration of John Dramani Mahama | 4 years, 167 days | Inauguration of Nana Akufo-Addo | 3 | Rawlings Kufuor Mahama |
| 7 January 2017 | 12 November 2020 | Inauguration of Nana Akufo-Addo | 3 years, 310 days | Death of Jerry Rawlings | 4 | Rawlings Kufuor Mahama N. Akufo-Addo |
| 12 November 2020 | present | Death of Jerry Rawlings | 3 years, 178 days | present | 3 | Kufuor Mahama N. Akufo-Addo |
Statistics[edit]
- There have been two men who have been the only living president: Kwame Nkrumah (as the first, from 1 July 1960 to 24 February 1966), and Jerry Rawlings (from Limann's death on 23 January 1998 to 7 January 2001).
- During one period in the History of Ghana, has there have been 6 persons alive to have been president. This period was from 4 June 1979 to 16 June 1979 (when Joseph Arthur Ankrah, Akwasi Afrifa, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, Fred Akuffo, and Jerry Rawlings were alive.
- Jerry Rawlings was the only person to be both an only living president (from 23 January 1998 to 7 January 2001) and one of the 6 living presidents (from 4 June 1979 to 16 June 1979).
- There have been 8 administrations during which a president has not died, the most recent being the administration of John Dramani Mahama. This does not include the administration of John Atta Mills (who was himself the only prime minister to die during his administration).
- Conversely, only during the administration of Jerry Rawlings has there been multiple deaths during an administration, six in total.
- John Kufuor holds the distinction of serving for the longest period without the death of a president during his term (8 years and 0 days).
- The longest period between deaths of presidents was the 14 years and 182 days between the deaths of Hilla Limann on 23 January 1998 and John Atta Mills on 24 July 2012. Aside from the simultaneous execution of Akwasi Afrifa and Fred Akuffo, The shortest period between deaths is 10 days between the deaths of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong on 16 June 1979 and the simultaneous deaths of Akwasi Afrifa and Fred Akuffo on 26 June 1979.
- If the longest period between deaths is to be exceeded, no president must die before 25 May 2034 (the current oldest and second oldest surviving presidents, John Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo, would then be 95 and 90 years old respectively).
- The second longest period between deaths of presidents was the 13 years and 129 days between the deaths of Edward Akufo-Addo on 17 July 1979 and Joseph Arthur Ankrah on 25 November 1992.
- Only once (in 1979) have multiple presidents died in the same year.
- Following his administration's end in 1969, Joseph Arthur Ankrah lived to see a record 7 administrations prior to his death in November 1992. Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings follow with 4 administrations after their own administrations ended in 1966 and 2001 respectively, prior to their deaths in April 1972 and November 2020 respectively.
- If one includes future as well as past and current prime ministers, the record of living prime ministers sits at 12:
- Between John Dramani Mahama's birth on 29 November 1958 and Kwame Nkrumah's death on 27 April 1972, all 12 presidents were alive.
- Since the inauguration of John Kufuor on 7 January 2001 (a period of 23 years, 122 days), there have been at least two presidents living, and since the simultaneous deaths of Akwasi Afrifa and Fred Akuffo on 26 June 1979 (a period of 44 years, 317 days), there have been no more than four presidents living.
Oldest living presidents of Ghana[edit]
Not all presidents live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 9 deceased presidents, 5 eventually became the oldest of their time, while 4 did not (including John Atta Mills who died in office, and 3 others). John Kufuor became the oldest living president when he took office in 2001 and his held this distinction ever since, a record 23 years, 122 days so far. Jerry Rawlings became the oldest living president after the death of Hilla Limann, but he only held this distinction for 2 years and 350 days.
On one occasion the oldest living president lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a president who was older. Jerry Rawlings lost this distinction when John Kufuor took office.
Edward Akufo-Addo was the oldest to acquire this distinction at the age of 64 years, and 66 days. John Atta Mills, who was 68 years, and 3 days old when he died, on 24 July 2012 was the oldest and most recent president to die without ever acquiring this distinction.
| President | Period when oldest living president | Age | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | End date | at start | at end | ||
| Kwame Nkrumah | 1 July 1960 | 31 August 1970 | 50 years, 284 days | 60 years, 344 days | 10 years, 61 days |
| Edward Akufo-Addo | 31 August 1970 | 17 July 1979 | 64 years, 66 days | 73 years, 21 days | 8 years, 320 days |
| Joseph Arthur Ankrah | 17 July 1979 | 25 November 1992 | 63 years, 333 days | 77 years, 99 days | 13 years, 131 days |
| Hilla Limann | 25 November 1992 | 23 January 1998 | 57 years, 349 days | 63 years, 42 days | 5 years, 59 days |
| Jerry Rawlings | 23 January 1998 | 7 January 2001 | 50 years, 215 days | 53 years, 199 days | 2 years, 350 days |
| John Kufuor | 7 January 2001 | – | 62 years, 30 days | – | 23 years, 122 days |
| President | Start date | End date | Age at start | Age at end | Duration |
See also[edit]
| Queen (1957–1960) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| President of the First Republic (1960–1966) | ||
| Military regime (1966–1969) | ||
| President of the Second Republic (1969–1972) | ||
| Military regime (1972–1979) | ||
| President of the Third Republic (1979–1981) | ||
| Military regime (1981–1993) | ||
| President of the Fourth Republic (from 1993) | ||
*Acting President | ||
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