List of ages of popes

This is a list of ages of popes.

Ages of popes

Elected between 11 and 20 years of age Benedict IX, pope 1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048

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

Date range	Average age		Average years served as pope
	At election	At death
1503 to 1700	63	70	7
1700 to 2005	65	78	13
1503 to 2005	64	74	10

Youngest popes

The information to determine the age of the youngest popes upon election is frequently unavailable, as many popes have completely unknown dates of birth. The probable youngest popes are:

• Pope Benedict IX (who became pope at an unknown age between 11 and 20)
• Pope John XII (who was 18 at the beginning of his papacy)
• Pope John XI (who was 20 at the beginning of his papacy)
• Pope Gregory V (who was 24 at the beginning of his papacy)

Ten oldest popes at election (post–1295)

Pope	Year elected	Elected at age	Age at death or resignation	Length of pontificate
Clement X	1670	79 years, 290 days	86	6 years, 84 days
Alexander VIII	1689	79 years, 177 days	80	1 year, 118 days
Paul IV	1555	78 years, 330 days	83	4 years, 87 days
Clement XII	1730	78 years, 100 days	87	9 years, 209 days
Benedict XVI	2005	78 years, 3 days	85	7 years, 315 days
John XXIII	1958	76 years, 337 days	81	4 years, 218 days
Innocent XII	1691	76 years, 124 days	85	9 years, 77 days
Callixtus III	1455	76 years, 98 days	79	3 years, 120 days
Francis	2013	76 years, 86 days	Current
Benedict XIII	1724	75 years, 91 days	81	5 years, 268 days

Ten oldest popes at death or resignation (post–1295)

Pope	Year elected	Elected at age	Age at death or resignation	Length of pontificate
Leo XIII	1878	67	93 years, 140 days	25 years, 150 days
Clement XII	1730	78	87 years, 305 days	9 years, 209 days
Clement X	1670	79	86 years, 9 days	6 years, 84 days
Benedict XVI	2005	78	85 years, 318 days (resignation)	7 years, 315 days
Pius IX	1846	54	85 years, 270 days	31 years, 236 days
Innocent XII	1691	76	85 years, 107 days	9 years, 77 days
John Paul II	1978	58	84 years, 319 days	26 years, 168 days
Gregory XIII	1572	70	83 years, 92 days	12 years, 322 days
Paul IV	1555	78	83 years, 51 days	4 years, 87 days
Benedict XIV	1740	65	83 years, 33 days	17 years, 259 days