Rishi Sunak was 42 years old when he became prime minister of the United Kingdom in October 2022.

Quick Scoop

  • Rishi Sunak was born on 12 May 1980 in Southampton, England.
  • He was appointed UK prime minister on 25 October 2022, which made him 42 at the time he took office.
  • At 42, he became the youngest UK prime minister in more than a century, and the youngest since Lord Liverpool in 1812.

Why his age mattered

  • His appointment was widely reported as historic not just for his age, but also because he became the first non‑white and first British Asian prime minister of the UK.
  • Media coverage in late 2022 highlighted that being 42 put him in a rare group of modern UK leaders taking office before turning 45.

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