History has a funny way of sneaking up on us. For years, the answer to who is the oldest living US president was a constant. Jimmy Carter held that title with a grip that seemed to defy the laws of biology. But as we move through early 2026, the landscape of the "Presidents Club" has shifted in a major way.
Honestly, it feels strange. Carter was more than just a name on a list; he was a milestone. He was the first commander-in-chief to hit the triple digits, a feat that felt both impossible and inevitable given his famous stubbornness and the quiet, peanut-farming grit of Plains, Georgia.
But with his passing on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, the torch finally passed.
Who holds the title now?
Right now, the oldest living US president is Joe Biden.
It’s a bit of a surreal statistic. Biden isn't just the oldest living former president; he also holds the record for being the oldest person ever to hold the office at the end of a term. He left the White House in January 2025 at the age of 82 years and 2 months.
Born on November 20, 1942, Biden has a few years on the rest of the pack. To put that in perspective, when he was born, the world was in the middle of World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House, and television was still a futuristic dream for most American households.
The 1946 Trio
What’s even weirder is the cluster of presidents that followed him. If you look at the birth dates of the men who have led this country over the last thirty years, you’ll notice a bizarre coincidence.
💡 You might also like: Percentage of Women That Voted for Trump: What Really Happened
- Donald Trump: Born June 14, 1946.
- George W. Bush: Born July 6, 1946.
- Bill Clinton: Born August 19, 1946.
Basically, three of the five living presidents were born within about nine weeks of each other in the exact same year. It’s like a cosmic glitch in the timeline. They all turned 79 in 2025 and are staring down their 80th birthdays in 2026.
Why Joe Biden being the oldest living US president matters
Age in the presidency has become a lightning-rod topic lately. You can't talk about it without getting into the weeds of "gerontocracy"—a fancy word for a government ruled by older people.
When Biden took the title, it wasn't just a fun fact for trivia night. It represented a specific era of American leadership. We’ve seen a trend where the "middle-aged" presidents—the Obamas and Clintons of the world—are becoming the outliers.
The current list of living presidents as of 2026 looks like this:
- Joe Biden (83)
- Donald Trump (79)
- George W. Bush (79)
- Bill Clinton (79)
- Barack Obama (64)
Notice the gap? There’s a massive 15-year jump between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama is the "baby" of the group, and he’s been out of office for nearly a decade.
The record that Donald Trump is chasing
Here is the kicker. Donald Trump, currently serving his second term, is on track to break Biden's record for being the oldest serving president.
📖 Related: What Category Was Harvey? The Surprising Truth Behind the Number
While Biden is the oldest living US president currently, Trump will surpass Biden’s age-at-exit record if he completes his term. By August 15, 2028, Trump will become the oldest person to ever occupy the Oval Office.
It’s a weirdly competitive category. These men aren't just legacy-building; they are literally rewriting the actuarial tables for what "old age" looks like in the highest levels of power.
What happened to Jimmy Carter’s legacy?
We can't talk about presidential longevity without mentioning Carter. He lived for 43 years after leaving the White House. That is a longer retirement than some presidents’ entire lives.
He didn't just sit on a porch, either. He built houses with Habitat for Humanity and negotiated peace deals while other people his age were figuring out how to use a remote control. His 100-year life set a bar that likely won't be cleared for decades.
To reach 100, Biden would have to live until 2042. Trump, Bush, and Clinton would all need to make it to 2046.
What most people get wrong about these rankings
People often think the "oldest" title is just about birth dates. But it’s really about the "post-presidency."
👉 See also: When Does Joe Biden's Term End: What Actually Happened
Take George H.W. Bush. He died at 94. For a long time, he and Carter were neck-and-neck. When Bush Senior passed in 2018, Carter became the undisputed king of longevity.
Now that Joe Biden is the oldest living US president, the focus has shifted from "how long can they live after office" to "how old is too old to be in office?"
It’s a nuanced debate. Experts like Dr. Jay Olshansky, a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago who studies aging, have pointed out that presidents often live longer than the average person because they have access to the best healthcare on the planet. They are "super-agers."
The health of the Presidents Club in 2026
Honestly, the remaining five are doing okay. George W. Bush stays mostly under the radar in Texas, painting and appearing at occasional veterans' events. Bill Clinton has had some health scares over the years—heart issues, mostly—but he’s still active on the speaking circuit.
Obama, at 64, is practically a youngster in this context. He’s the only one who doesn't look like he belongs in a history book yet.
Practical takeaways from the current rankings
If you're following the news or just curious about how this affects the 2026 political landscape, keep these points in mind:
- Record-breaking is the new normal: We are in an era where the age of our leaders is consistently hitting all-time highs.
- The Carter standard: Living to 100 changed the public’s perception of what a "former president" does. Expect Biden and others to be pressured into high-level humanitarian work well into their 80s and 90s.
- The 1946 cohort: Watch the health of Trump, Bush, and Clinton closely. Because they are the same age, their collective health often reflects the state of that generation of leadership.
To keep up with the latest shifts in the Presidents Club, you can monitor official updates from the Carter Center (which still operates for legacy work) or the White House Historical Association, which tracks these records with meticulous detail.
For a deeper look into how these ages compare to historical figures, check out the White House Historical Association’s database on presidential lifespans. It’s a rabbit hole, but a fascinating one if you want to see just how much modern medicine has changed the game for the oldest living US president.