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List of Ghanaian heads of state by age

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This is a list of heads of state of Ghana by age.

Overview

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The youngest person to become head of state was Jerry Rawlings, who at the age of 31, assumed office following a coup d'état in 1979.[1] The youngest civilian head of state to assume the presidency was Hilla Limann, who was inaugurated at the age of 44. The oldest person to assume the presidency is Nana Akufo-Addo who was inaugurated at age 72.[2][3]

At age 34, Akwasi Afrifa was the youngest head of state at the end of his tenure. Fred Akuffo's lifespan of 42 years was the shortest of any head of state.[4][5] The oldest head of state at the end of his tenure will be Nana Akufo-Addo at 80.

Fred Akuffo's retirement of just 22 days is the shortest in Ghana's history while Joseph Arthur Ankrah's retirement of 23 years is the longest in Ghana's history. At age 86, John Kufuor is the oldest of the three living heads of state, he is also the nation's longest-lived head of state. Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo are the only heads of state to have lived into their 80s. The youngest living head of state is John Mahama, age 66.

List of heads of state by age at assuming office

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This is a list of heads of state of Ghana by age at assuming office from the youngest to the oldest.

Name Date of birth Date of death Date and age at assuming office
Jerry Rawlings 22 June 1947 12 November 2020 4 June 1979(1979-06-04) (aged 31)
Akwasi Afrifa 24 April 1936 26 June 1979 2 April 1969(1969-04-02) (aged 32)
Jerry Rawlings 22 June 1947 12 November 2020 31 December 1981(1981-12-31) (aged 34)
Ignatius Kutu Acheampong 23 April 1931 16 June 1979 13 January 1972(1972-01-13) (aged 40)
Fred Akuffo 21 March 1937 26 June 1979 5 July 1978(1978-07-05) (aged 41)
Hilla Limann 12 December 1934 23 January 1998 24 September 1979(1979-09-24) (aged 44)
Joseph Arthur Ankrah 18 August 1915 25 November 1992 24 February 1966(1966-02-24) (aged 50)
Kwame Nkrumah 21 September 1909 27 April 1972 1 July 1960(1960-07-01) (aged 50)
John Mahama 29 November 1958 (living) 24 July 2012(2012-07-24) (aged 53)
John Kufuor 8 December 1938 (living) 7 January 2001(2001-01-07) (aged 62)
Edward Akufo-Addo 26 June 1906 17 July 1979 31 August 1970(1970-08-31) (aged 64)
John Atta Mills 21 July 1944 24 July 2012 7 January 2009(2009-01-07) (aged 64)
Nana Akufo-Addo 29 March 1944 (living) 7 January 2017(2017-01-07) (aged 72)

List of heads of state by longevity

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This table shows heads of state by their longevity (living heads of state in gold).

Rank
 Head of state
 Date of birth
 Date of death
 Longevity
(Years, Days) 		Longevity
(Days)
1 John Kufuor 8 December 1938 Living 86 years, 1 day 31,413 days
2 Nana Akufo-Addo 29 March 1944 Living 80 years, 255 days 29,475 days
3 Joseph Arthur Ankrah 18 August 1915 25 November 1992 77 years, 99 days 28,224 days
4 Jerry Rawlings 22 June 1947 12 November 2020 73 years, 143 days 26,807 days
5 Edward Akufo-Addo 26 June 1906 17 July 1979 73 years, 21 days 26,684 days
6 John Atta Mills 21 July 1944 24 July 2012 68 years, 3 days 24,840 days
7 John Mahama 29 November 1958 Living 66 years, 10 days 24,117 days
8 Hilla Limann 12 December 1934 23 January 1998 63 years, 42 days 23,053 days
9 Kwame Nkrumah 21 September 1909 27 April 1972 62 years, 219 days 22,864 days
10 Ignatius Kutu Acheampong 23 April 1931 16 June 1979 48 years, 54 days 17,586 days
11 Akwasi Afrifa 24 April 1936 26 June 1979 43 years, 63 days 15,768 days
12 Fred Akuffo 21 March 1937 26 June 1979 42 years, 97 days 15,437 days
List of heads of state of Ghana 12
Living 3
Deceased 9

Ghanaian heads of state's ages

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This table charts the age of each head of state of Ghana at the time of assuming office, upon leaving office, and at the time of death. Where the head of state is still living, their lifespan and post head of state timespan are calculated up to 9 December 2024.

#
 Head of state
 Date of birth
 Date of
assuming office 		Age at
assuming office
 End of
term 		Age at
end of
term 		Length of
retirement
 Date of death
 Lifespan
1 Kwame Nkrumah 21 September 1909 1 July 1960 (1960-07-01) 50 years, 284 days 24 February 1966 (1966-02-24) 56 years, 156 days 6 years, 63 days 27 April 1972 22,864 days (62 years, 219 days)
2 Joseph Arthur Ankrah 18 August 1915 24 February 1966 (1966-02-24) 50 years, 190 days 2 April 1969 (1969-04-02) 53 years, 227 days 23 years, 237 days 25 November 1992 28,224 days (77 years, 99 days)
3 Akwasi Afrifa 24 April 1936 2 April 1969 (1969-04-02) 32 years, 343 days 7 August 1970 (1970-08-07) 34 years, 105 days 8 years, 323 days 26 June 1979 15,768 days (43 years, 63 days)
4 Edward Akufo-Addo 26 June 1906 31 August 1970 (1970-08-31) 64 years, 66 days 13 January 1972 (1972-01-13) 65 years, 201 days 7 years, 185 days 17 July 1979 26,684 days (73 years, 21 days)
5 Ignatius Kutu Acheampong 23 April 1931 13 January 1972 (1972-01-13) 40 years, 265 days 5 July 1978 (1978-07-05) 47 years, 73 days 346 days 16 June 1979 17,586 days (48 years, 54 days)
6 Fred Akuffo 21 March 1937 5 July 1978 (1978-07-05) 41 years, 106 days 4 June 1979 (1979-06-04) 42 years, 75 days 22 days 26 June 1979 15,437 days (42 years, 97 days)
7 Jerry Rawlings 22 June 1947 4 June 1979 (1979-06-04) 31 years, 347 days 24 September 1979 (1979-09-24) 32 years, 94 days 2 years, 98 days[a] 12 November 2020 26,807 days (73 years, 143 days)
8 Hilla Limann 12 December 1934 24 September 1979 (1979-09-24) 44 years, 286 days 31 December 1981 (1981-12-31) 47 years, 19 days 16 years, 23 days 23 January 1998 23,053 days (63 years, 42 days)
(7) Jerry Rawlings 22 June 1947 31 December 1981 (1981-12-31) 34 years, 192 days 7 January 2001 (2001-01-07) 53 years, 199 days 19 years, 310 days[b] 12 November 2020 26,807 days (73 years, 143 days)
9 John Kufuor 8 December 1938 7 January 2001 (2001-01-07) 62 years, 30 days 7 January 2009 (2009-01-07) 70 years, 30 days 15 years, 337 days (living) 31,413 days (86 years, 1 day)
10 John Atta Mills 21 July 1944 7 January 2009 (2009-01-07) 64 years, 170 days 24 July 2012 (2012-07-24) 68 years, 3 days 00,0010 days[c] 24 July 2012 24,840 days (68 years, 3 days)
11 John Mahama 29 November 1958 24 July 2012 (2012-07-24) 53 years, 238 days 7 January 2017 (2017-01-07) 58 years, 39 days 7 years, 337 days (living) 24,117 days (66 years, 10 days)
12 Nana Akufo-Addo 29 March 1944 7 January 2017 (2017-01-07) 72 years, 284 days (incumbent) (incumbent) (incumbent) (living) 29,475 days (80 years, 255 days)
# Head of state Date of birth Date of
assuming office 		Age at
assuming office 		End of
term 		Age at
end of
term 		Length of
retirement 		Date of death Lifespan

Notes

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  1. ^ Rawlings was head of state for two non-consecutive periods; this is his first post-head of state retirement, between the end of his first military tenure in 1979 and the beginning of his second in 1981.
  2. ^ Rawlings was head of state for two non-consecutive periods; this is his post-presidential retirement, after his second period in office (1981–2001).
  3. ^ Died in office

References

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  1. ^ Schudel, Matt (12 November 2020). "Jerry Rawlings, coup leader who ruled Ghana for 20 years, dies at 73". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Nana Akufo-Addo sworn in as Ghana's new president". Al Jazeera. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Ghana swears in Akufo-Addo as president". DW. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  4. ^ "2 Former Heads of State Are Executed in Ghana". The Washington Post. 26 June 1979. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  5. ^ "New Regime in Ghana Executes 2 Ex‐Rulers And 4 Senior Officers". The New York Times. 27 June 1979. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
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