Average Age: National Leadership
The chart below (derived from column “ALL” in the tabular data below) illustrates the average age of the U.S. National Leadership (Representatives, Senators and Governors combined)—irrespective of generation—serving at a specific point in time. In addition to the composite average, the table that follows shows the breakdown of average ages across each generation. All persons in office at any point during each two year period are included in the average.
Chart 1: Average Age of U.S. National Leadership, 1789–2005
(Click on image to enlarge)
(Click on image to enlarge)
Show/Hide Tablular Data (includes ages for each generation)
| Year | AWAK | LIB | REP | COMP | TRAN | GILD | PRO | MISS | LOST | G.I. | SIL | BOOM | GENX | ALL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1789 | 67 | 53 | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1791 | 70 | 56 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1793 | 72 | 58 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1795 | 73 | 61 | 43 | 27 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1797 | – | 62 | 44 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1799 | – | 63 | 46 | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1801 | – | 64 | 46 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1803 | – | 65 | 49 | 33 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1805 | – | 67 | 49 | 33 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1807 | – | 69 | 52 | 36 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 49 |
| 1809 | – | 71 | 52 | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1811 | – | 71 | 54 | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1813 | – | 74 | 55 | 39 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1815 | – | 74 | 56 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1817 | – | – | 58 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1819 | – | – | 60 | 42 | 26 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1821 | – | – | 62 | 43 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1823 | – | – | 63 | 44 | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1825 | – | – | 64 | 45 | 31 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1827 | – | – | 66 | 46 | 33 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1829 | – | – | 68 | 47 | 35 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1831 | – | – | 70 | 48 | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1833 | – | – | 72 | 49 | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1835 | – | – | 75 | 51 | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1837 | – | – | 80 | 53 | 39 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1839 | – | – | – | 54 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1841 | – | – | – | 56 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1843 | – | – | – | 59 | 43 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1845 | – | – | – | 59 | 43 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1847 | – | – | – | 61 | 44 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1849 | – | – | – | 62 | 44 | 27 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1851 | – | – | – | 64 | 44 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1853 | – | – | – | 68 | 45 | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 |
| 1855 | – | – | – | 68 | 46 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1857 | – | – | – | 69 | 47 | 33 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1859 | – | – | – | 70 | 48 | 34 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1861 | – | – | – | 72 | 49 | 35 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1863 | – | – | – | 72 | 51 | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1865 | – | – | – | 74 | 53 | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 49 |
| 1867 | – | – | – | – | 55 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1869 | – | – | – | – | 55 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 47 |
| 1871 | – | – | – | – | 57 | 43 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
| 1873 | – | – | – | – | 58 | 44 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 49 |
| 1875 | – | – | – | – | 61 | 45 | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 50 |
| 1877 | – | – | – | – | 63 | 47 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 51 |
| 1879 | – | – | – | – | 64 | 49 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1881 | – | – | – | – | 64 | 50 | 34 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1883 | – | – | – | – | 66 | 51 | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 51 |
| 1885 | – | – | – | – | 68 | 53 | 39 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1887 | – | – | – | – | 69 | 54 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1889 | – | – | – | – | 70 | 56 | 43 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1891 | – | – | – | – | 72 | 57 | 43 | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1893 | – | – | – | – | 76 | 58 | 44 | 31 | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1895 | – | – | – | – | 79 | 59 | 45 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1897 | – | – | – | – | 81 | 61 | 47 | 35 | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1899 | – | – | – | – | 78 | 63 | 49 | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1901 | – | – | – | – | 80 | 64 | 50 | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1903 | – | – | – | – | 82 | 66 | 52 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1905 | – | – | – | – | 84 | 67 | 53 | 41 | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1907 | – | – | – | – | 86 | 70 | 55 | 43 | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1909 | – | – | – | – | – | 71 | 56 | 44 | – | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1911 | – | – | – | – | – | 72 | 59 | 45 | – | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1913 | – | – | – | – | – | 74 | 60 | 46 | 30 | – | – | – | – | 52 |
| 1915 | – | – | – | – | – | 76 | 61 | 47 | 31 | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1917 | – | – | – | – | – | 78 | 63 | 48 | 33 | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1919 | – | – | – | – | – | 79 | 66 | 49 | 34 | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1921 | – | – | – | – | – | 84 | 66 | 51 | 37 | – | – | – | – | 53 |
| 1923 | – | – | – | – | – | 84 | 68 | 52 | 38 | – | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1925 | – | – | – | – | – | 84 | 69 | 55 | 37 | – | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1927 | – | – | – | – | – | 86 | 71 | 56 | 39 | – | – | – | – | 55 |
| 1929 | – | – | – | – | – | 88 | 74 | 57 | 40 | 27 | – | – | – | 55 |
| 1931 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 | 59 | 42 | 27 | – | – | – | 55 |
| 1933 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77 | 60 | 45 | 30 | – | – | – | 56 |
| 1935 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77 | 61 | 46 | 31 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1937 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 79 | 63 | 46 | 34 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1939 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 80 | 64 | 48 | 35 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1941 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 84 | 65 | 50 | 36 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1943 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85 | 67 | 51 | 39 | – | – | – | 55 |
| 1945 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 87 | 69 | 53 | 41 | – | – | – | 55 |
| 1947 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 70 | 55 | 42 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1949 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 72 | 57 | 43 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1951 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 | 58 | 44 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 1953 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 74 | 59 | 45 | 27 | – | – | 54 |
| 1955 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 76 | 61 | 46 | 29 | – | – | 54 |
| 1957 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 80 | 63 | 47 | 31 | – | – | 54 |
| 1959 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 83 | 65 | 48 | 34 | – | – | 53 |
| 1961 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 83 | 65 | 50 | 34 | – | – | 54 |
| 1963 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85 | 67 | 51 | 36 | – | – | 53 |
| 1965 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 86 | 69 | 52 | 38 | – | – | 53 |
| 1967 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 88 | 70 | 54 | 40 | – | – | 54 |
| 1969 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 72 | 55 | 41 | – | – | 53 |
| 1971 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 | 56 | 42 | 27 | – | 54 |
| 1973 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 76 | 57 | 43 | 29 | – | 53 |
| 1975 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 78 | 59 | 44 | 31 | – | 52 |
| 1977 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 79 | 60 | 45 | 32 | – | 52 |
| 1979 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 81 | 61 | 46 | 34 | – | 51 |
| 1981 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 81 | 62 | 48 | 35 | – | 51 |
| 1983 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 83 | 65 | 49 | 37 | – | 51 |
| 1985 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85 | 66 | 51 | 39 | – | 53 |
| 1987 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 87 | 68 | 52 | 41 | – | 53 |
| 1989 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 89 | 70 | 54 | 43 | – | 54 |
| 1991 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 71 | 57 | 44 | – | 55 |
| 1993 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 | 58 | 46 | 32 | 55 |
| 1995 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 75 | 60 | 47 | 32 | 55 |
| 1997 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 76 | 61 | 48 | 33 | 55 |
| 1999 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77 | 63 | 50 | 36 | 56 |
| 2001 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 80 | 65 | 51 | 37 | 56 |
| 2003 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 80 | 67 | 52 | 39 | 56 |
| 2005 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 81 | 68 | 54 | 40 | 56 |
