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The old have come to dominate American politics

Voters say they favour age limits for elected officials

To read more of The Economist’s data journalism visit our Graphic detail page.

YOUTH, OR EVEN middle age, seems sure to be absent from the presidential ballot when Americans vote in November 2024. Joe Biden, the oldest president yet, is 80; his likely rival, Donald Trump, is 77. Both are well past the median age for the world’s heads of government, which is just 62. Only eight of the 187 leaders in an analysis by the Pew Research Centre are older than Mr Biden (see chart 1). Both Americans are also much older than most of their predecessors: the median age of presidential nominees and presidents since 1900 is 55.5.

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