History has a funny way of bunching people together. Right now, in early 2026, we’re living through one of those weirdly crowded eras of American leadership. If you walked into a room with every living person who has ever held the nuclear codes, you wouldn’t be alone. You’d be looking at a very specific, very small group of men.
So, let’s get straight to the point. How many ex presidents are alive? As of January 2026, there are four living former presidents.
Wait. You might be counting on your fingers and thinking I’ve missed someone. I haven't. The math changed recently, and it’s kinda surreal to think about. For the longest time, we had this "Mount Rushmore" of five or six living predecessors, but the ranks have thinned. We lost Jimmy Carter in late 2024—the man made it to 100, which is honestly staggering—leaving us with a tighter circle.
Here is the current roster:
- Joe Biden (46th)
- Barack Obama (44th)
- George W. Bush (43rd)
- Bill Clinton (42nd)
You'll notice Donald Trump isn't on the "ex" list anymore because, well, look at the news. He’s back in the Oval Office as the 47th president. That makes him the first person since Grover Cleveland to pull off the non-consecutive term trick. It also means he’s technically an incumbent again, not a "former" president in the way we usually track this stuff for the history books.
The "Over 75" Club: Clinton, Bush, and Biden
It is wild to realize that three of our four living former presidents were born in the exact same year. 1946 was a busy year for future leaders. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump (the current guy) were all born within a few months of each other.
Bill Clinton is 79 now. He’s been out of office for a quarter-century, which feels impossible if you remember the 90s. He’s had some health scares—flu hospitalizations and heart stuff—but he’s still out there promoting his memoir Citizen. He basically spends his time on philanthropy and being a "Christmas elf" for his grandkids.
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Then you’ve got George W. Bush. Also 79. He’s mostly traded the world stage for a paintbrush in Dallas. Every so often, the Bush Institute pops up to talk about PEPFAR or global health, but "W" is arguably the most "retired" of the bunch. He stays out of the day-to-day political mud-wrestling, which is probably why his approval ratings have done a complete 180 since 2009.
Joe Biden joined this club just a year ago. After handing over the keys in January 2025, he’s the newest member of the ex-presidents fraternity. At 83, he’s the oldest person to ever hold the title of "former president" so soon after leaving office. Most people expect him to keep a low profile in Delaware, but you can’t really turn off sixty years of political instinct overnight.
Why Barack Obama is the Outlier
Barack Obama is the "young" one. He’s 64.
He’s been out of office for nine years, yet he’s still younger than most of the guys who have run for the job lately. It’s a strange dynamic. He’s currently balancing a huge 2026 campaign schedule—helping out Democratic gubernatorial candidates—with the upcoming opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Honestly, Obama occupies a weird space in the public consciousness. He’s the "elder statesman" who isn’t actually that elderly. He’s still a massive draw for rallies, and his influence on the party hasn't waned much, even as the political landscape has shifted toward more populism on both sides.
What happened to Jimmy Carter?
We have to talk about the 100-year-old elephant in the room. For years, the answer to "how many ex presidents are alive" always started with Jimmy Carter. He was the record-breaker.
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Carter passed away on December 29, 2024. He spent 16 months in hospice care in Plains, Georgia. People thought he was going to go any day, and then he just... kept going. He made it to his 100th birthday, saw his wife Rosalynn pass before him, and finally slipped away just before the 2025 inauguration.
His death officially ended the longest post-presidency in U.S. history. He was out of office for 43 years. To put that in perspective, he was a former president for longer than Barack Obama has been a public figure.
The Logistics of Being "Former"
It’s not just about the title. Being a former president is a massive logistical operation.
- Secret Service: They don't just go away. Every man on this list has a permanent detail. That means if George W. Bush wants a burger in Dallas, he’s going with a motorcade.
- The Pension: It’s roughly $230,000 a year, though most of these guys make ten times that on a single book deal or speaking gig.
- The Libraries: This is where the legacy work happens. Biden is currently in the "archiving" phase, while Obama’s center is set to be a massive community hub in Chicago.
Looking Toward the Semiquincentennial
There’s a big date on the calendar: July 4, 2026.
The U.S. is turning 250. This is the "Semiquincentennial," a word no one can pronounce but everyone is getting ready for. You can bet that the four living ex-presidents—Biden, Obama, Bush, and Clinton—will be front and center for this. It’s one of those rare moments where the "Club of Five" (if you count the sitting president) puts aside the partisan bickering to stand on a stage together.
It’s a fragile thing, though. The relationship between these men is... complicated. Bush and Clinton are famously "brothers from another mother," but the tension between the newer members and the older guard is palpable.
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Summary of the Current Living Presidents (Early 2026):
The current count is four former presidents and one sitting president.
Joe Biden (83) - Retired in Delaware.
Barack Obama (64) - Active in 2026 campaigning and foundation work.
George W. Bush (79) - Painting and working through the Bush Institute.
Bill Clinton (79) - Writing and philanthropic work.
Donald Trump (79) - Currently serving as the 47th President.
The number of living presidents often stays at five or six, but we are in a transition period. With four of these men now pushing 80, the makeup of this group is going to change significantly over the next decade.
If you're looking to dive deeper into how these former leaders spend their time, your best bet is to check out the National Archives or the individual Presidential Library websites. They offer the most accurate daily schedules and project updates for each man. You might also want to look into the America250 initiative to see how they'll be involved in the upcoming national anniversary celebrations this July.