Meet world’s youngest head of states
Younger leaders are generally more capable of bridging the generations before and after their age group while challenging the way things are done.
Here are seven of the youngest serving head of governments of the world who arguably are or expected to do just that -
Giacomo Simoncini, Captain Regent of San Marino
The 27-year-old Sammarinese sports executive was elected as one of the two Captain Regents of San Marino with Francesco Mussoni in October 2021.
Giacomo is the youngest leader of state in the world and also the only head of state under 30 years of age as of yet (2021).
He graduated in pharmacy and obtained the qualification as a teacher of chemistry.
Gabriel Boric, President of Chile
The 35-year-old leftist lawmaker was an activist as a student. He was elected as the president of Chile on Sunday (19 December 2021).
Boric will be the nation's youngest president who is already drafting a new constitution for the country.
He studied in the faculty of law at the University of Chile in Santiago. Being the president of the University of Chile Student Federation in 2012, as a student representative, he grew to be one of the leading figures of the 2011–2013 Chilean student protests.
Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez, President of El Salvador
The 40-year-old populist head of government was elected as the President of El Salvador in February 2019 when he was 37 years old.
Bukele is the former mayor of San Salvador who broke the 30-year-old stranglehold of Arena and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front had on presidential politics in El Salvador by winning the presidential election back in 2019.
He pursued law at the Central American University but ended his studies to become the founder of his first company at the age of 18.
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
The 41-year-old social-democrat was elected as the Prime Minister of New Zealand in October 2017 when she was 37 years old, becoming the youngest prime minister of the country.
Jacinda was first elected to the House of Representatives as a list MP in 2008 and has been the leader of the Labour Party and a member of Parliament for Mount Albert since 2017.
After her graduation in 2001, Ardern became a researcher for Labour MP Phil Goff and later became a staff member for Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica
The 41-year-old writer and journalist was elected as the President of Costa Rica in May 2018 when he was 38 years old.
Alvarado was formerly the Minister of Labour and Social Security.
He has a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in political science from the University of Costa Rica, and another master's degree in development studies from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in Falmer in England.
Xavier Espot Zamora, Prime Minister of Andorra
The 42-year-old former minister of justice was elected as the prime minister of Andorra in May 2019 when he was 39 years old.
Xavier was the minister of social affairs, justice and interior, between 2012 and 2019.
He studied law in ESADE Business school and also has a degree in humanities from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Ramon Llull University of Barcelona.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
The 44-year-old co-prince of Andorra was elected the President of France in May 2017 when he was 39 years old.
Macron was formerly a civil servant and investment banker.
He studied philosophy at Paris Nanterre University, completed a Master's in Public Affairs at Sciences Po, and graduated from the École Nationale d'Administration.