Christianity Knowledge Base
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This is a list of ages of popes.

Ages of popes[]

BenedictusIX

Elected between 11 and 18 years of age
Benedict IX,
pope 1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048

Clement X

Elected at age 79
Clement X (born 1590),
pope from 1670 to 1676

Leo XIII

Died at age 93
Leo XIII (born 1810),
pope from 1878 to 1903

Statistics
Date range Age at election Age at death Years served as pope
Average 1700 to 2005 65 78 13
Average 1503 to 1700 63 70 7
Average 1503 to 2005 64 74 10

Youngest popes[]

The data to determine the age and dates of birth of the youngest popes is frequently unavailable, as popes have generally been elected at older ages in modern times. The youngest pope was probably either Pope Benedict IX (who became pope at an unknown age between 11 and 20) or Pope John XII (who was 18 at the beginning of his papacy).

Oldest popes[]

Ten oldest popes at election 1334–present
Pope Year elected Elected at age Age at death Years served as pope
Clement X 1670 79 years, 290 days 86 6
Alexander VIII 1689 79 years, 177 days 80 1
Paul IV 1555 78 years, 330 days 83 4
Clement XII 1730 78 years, 100 days 87 9
Benedict XVI 2005 78 years, 3 days - 5
John XXIII 1958 76 years, 337 days 81 4
Innocent XII 1691 76 years, 124 days 85 9
Callixtus III 1455 76 years, 98 days 79 3
Benedict XIII 1724 75 years, 91 days 81 5
Innocent IX 1591 72 years, 104 days 72 0
Ten oldest popes at death 1334–present
Pope Year elected Elected at age Age at death Years served as pope
Leo XIII 1878 67 93 years, 140 days 25
Clement XII 1730 78 87 years, 305 days 9
Clement X 1670 79 86 years, 9 days 6
Pius IX 1846 54 85 years, 270 days 31
Innocent XII 1691 76 85 years, 107 days 9
John Paul II 1978 58 84 years, 319 days 26
Benedict XVI 2005 78 - 5
Gregory XIII 1572 70 83 years, 92 days 12
Paul IV 1555 78 83 years, 51 days 4
Benedict XIV 1740 65 83 years, 33 days 17
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