List of prime ministers of India by longevity
This is a List of prime ministers of India by longevity. Where the person in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to 28 June 2020.
| Prime Minister | Date of birth | Prime Minister |
|---|---|---|
| Manmohan Singh | 26 September 1932 | 2004–2014 |
| H. D. Deve Gowda | 18 May 1933 | 1996–1997 |
| Narendra Modi | 17 September 1950 | 2014– |
Two measures of the longevity are given - this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each Prime Minister. The first column is the number of days between date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; the second column breaks this number down into years and days, with the years being the number of whole years the Prime Minister lived, and the days being the remaining number of days after his/her last birthday.
If a Prime Minister served more than one non-consecutive term, the dates listed below are for the beginning of their first term, and the end of their final term.
The median age at which a Prime Minister first takes office is roughly 64 years and 166 days, which falls between Narendra Modi and P. V. Narasimha Rao. The oldest person to become Prime Minister was Morarji Desai, who became Prime Minister at the age of 81 years, 23 days. The youngest person to become Prime Minister was Rajiv Gandhi, who became Prime Minister at the age of 40 years, 72 days.
The oldest living Prime Minister is Manmohan Singh, born 26 September 1932 (aged 87 years, 276 days). The youngest living Prime Minister is the incumbent Narendra Modi, born 17 September 1950 (aged 69 years, 285 days). Manmohan Singh and H. D. Deve Gowda are the only surviving former Prime Ministers of India.
The longest lived Prime Minister was Morarji Desai, who lived to the age of 99 years, 41 days. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the second longest-lived Prime Minister, who lived to the age of 93 years, 234 days, 5 years and 172 days short of Desai. The shortest lived Prime Minister was Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated at the age of 46 years, 274 days. Lal Bahadur Shastri is the only prime minister to die abroad, when he died in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbek SSR in 1966.
The Prime Minister with the longest retirement is H. D. Deve Gowda. He left office 23 years, 68 days ago on 21 April 1997 and is still alive. The prime minister with the shortest retirement is Rajiv Gandhi, who died on 21 May 1991, 1 year and 170 days after leaving office on 2 December 1989.
Narendra Modi (17 September 1950) is the first Prime Minister of India to be born after the Independence of India. All other former Prime Ministers were born before the Independence of India.
Prime Ministers of India
Living
Currently in Office
| # |
Prime Minister |
Date of birth |
Place of birth |
Start date of (first) term |
Age at beginning of (first) term |
End date of (final) term |
Total time in office |
Date of death |
Place of death |
Length of Retirement |
Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 14 November 1889 | Allahabad, North-Western Provinces |
15 August 1947 | 57 years, 274 days | 27 May 1964[1] | 16 years, 286 days | 27 May 1964 | New Delhi | N/A | 27,222 days (74 years, 195 days) |
| 2 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | 2 October 1904 | Mughalsarai, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |
9 June 1964 | 59 years, 251 days | 11 January 1966[1] | 1 year, 216 days | 11 January 1966 | Tashkent, Uzbek SSR |
N/A | 22,381 days (61 years, 101 days) |
| 3 | Indira Gandhi | 19 November 1917 | Allahabad, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |
24 January 1966 | 48 years, 66 days | 31 October 1984[1] | 15 years, 350 days | 31 October 1984 | New Delhi | N/A | 24,453 days (66 years, 347 days) |
| 4 | Morarji Desai | 29 February 1896 | Bhadeli, Bombay Presidency |
24 March 1977 | 81 years, 24 days | 28 July 1979 | 2 years, 126 days | 10 April 1995 | Bombay, Maharashtra |
15 years, 256 days | 36,199 days (99 years, 41 days) |
| 5 | Charan Singh | 23 December 1902 | Noorpur, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |
28 July 1979 | 76 years, 217 days | 14 January 1980 | 170 days | 29 May 1987 | New Delhi | 7 years, 135 days | 30,838 days (84 years, 157 days) |
| 6 | Rajiv Gandhi | 20 August 1944 | Bombay, Bombay Presidency |
31 October 1984 | 40 years, 72 days | 2 December 1989 | 5 years, 32 days | 21 May 1991 | Sriperumpudur, Tamil Nadu |
1 year, 170 days | 17,075 days (46 years, 274 days) |
| 7 | Vishwanath Pratap Singh | 25 June 1931 | Allahabad, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |
2 December 1989 | 58 years, 160 days | 10 November 1990 | 343 days | 27 November 2008 | New Delhi | 17 years, 361 days | 28,280 days (77 years, 155 days) |
| 8 | Chandra Shekhar | 1 July 1927 | Ibrahimpatti, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |
10 November 1990 | 63 years, 132 days | 21 June 1991 | 223 days | 8 July 2007 | New Delhi | 16 years, 17 days | 29,227 days (80 years, 7 days) |
| 9 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | 28 June 1921 | Narsampet, Hyderabad State |
21 June 1991 | 69 years, 358 days | 16 May 1996 | 4 years, 330 days | 23 December 2004 | New Delhi | 8 years, 221 days | 30,494 days (83 years, 178 days) |
| 10 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 25 December 1924 | Gwalior, Gwalior State |
16 May 1996 | 71 years, 143 days | 22 May 2004 | 6 years, 78 days | 16 August 2018 | New Delhi | 14 years, 86 days | 34,202 days (93 years, 234 days) |
| 11 | H. D. Deve Gowda | 18 May 1933 | Haradanahalli, Kingdom of Mysore |
1 June 1996 | 63 years, 14 days | 21 April 1997 | 324 days | – | – | 23 years, 68 days | 31,818 days (87 years, 41 days) |
| 12 | I. K. Gujral | 4 December 1919 | Pari Derveza, Punjab Province |
21 April 1997 | 77 years, 138 days | 19 March 1998 | 332 days | 30 November 2012 | Gurgaon, Haryana | 14 years, 256 days | 33,965 days (92 years, 362 days) |
| 13 | Dr. Manmohan Singh | 26 September 1932 | Gah, Punjab Province |
22 May 2004 | 71 years, 239 days | 26 May 2014 | 10 years, 4 days | – | – | 6 years, 33 days | 32,052 days (87 years, 276 days) |
| 14 | Narendra Modi | 17 September 1950 | Vadnagar, Gujarat State |
26 May 2014 | 63 years, 251 days | Incumbent | 6 years, 33 days | – | – | Incumbent | 25,487 days (69 years, 285 days) |
Oldest living Prime Ministers of India
Not all prime ministers live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 11 deceased prime ministers, 6 eventually became the oldest of their time, while 5 did not. Morarji Desai became the oldest living prime minister when he was appointed in 1977 and remained so until his death in 1995, for a record 18 years and 17 days. Lal Bahadur Shastri became the oldest living prime minister when he was appointed in 1964, but he held this distinction for only 1 year and 216 days.
On one occasion the oldest living prime minister lost this distinction not by her death, but due to the appointment of a prime minister who was older. Indira Gandhi lost this distinction when Morarji Desai was appointed. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the oldest to acquire this distinction at the age of 87 years, and 341 days. Charan Singh, who was 84 years, and 157 days old when he died was the oldest prime minister to die without ever acquiring this distinction V. P. Singh who died on 27 November 2008 at the age of 77 years and 155 days was the most recent prime minister to die without ever acquiring this distinction .
| Prime Minister | Period when oldest living prime minister | Age | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | End date | at start | at end | ||
| Jawaharlal Nehru | 15 August 1947 | 27 May 1964 | 57 years, 274 days | 74 years, 195 days | 16 years, 286 days |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri | 9 June 1964 | 11 January 1966 | 59 years, 251 days | 61 years, 101 days | 1 year, 216 days |
| Indira Gandhi | 24 January 1966 | 24 March 1977 | 48 years, 66 days | 59 years, 125 days | 11 years, 59 days |
| Morarji Desai | 24 March 1977 | 10 April 1995 | 81 years, 24 days | 99 years, 41 days | 18 years, 17 days |
| I. K. Gujral | 10 April 1995 | 30 November 2012 | 75 years, 127 days | 92 years, 362 days | 17 years, 234 days |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 30 November 2012 | 16 August 2018 | 87 years, 341 days | 93 years, 234 days | 5 years, 259 days |
| Manmohan Singh | 16 August 2018 | – | 85 years, 324 days | – | 1 year, 317 days |
| Prime Minister | Start date | End date | Age at start | Age at end | Duration |
