Jimmy Carter Lived Longer After Ending His Presidency Than Any Other US President

The 39th U.S. president and former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter died December 29, 2024, at the age of 100. His son, Chip, said in a statement on behalf of the family: "My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love. My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs."

Though he only served one term in The White House from 1977 to 1981, Carter's post-presidential life was notable for many reasons. Among them, the humanitarian work Carter performed well into his 90s for the housing advocacy nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, where he, along with his wife, the former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, established the Carter Work Project (via Habitat for Humanity).

Something somewhat less consequential but no less interesting about Carter's life is that he not only survived longer than any other U.S. president so far in history, and he also lived longer than any U.S. president after he left office, as USA Today reports. Contributing in part to that longevity is likely the lengthened modern human lifespan, which grew significantly during Carter's time. Carter, however, could also thank a good deal of luck and quality medical care. In 2015, at the advanced age of 91, Carter announced cancer had spread from his liver to brain, but he was later determined to be cancer-free after cutting-edge treatment. What's for certain, Carter put the time that he had to good use, and in doing so, he left a lasting legacy.

Though as mentioned the average human lifespan increased during Carter's lifetime, the first U.S. president to make it to 90, John Adams, was the nation's second president who died in 1826, according to Boston University. That's particularly notable as the average lifespan in Adams' time was only around 40 years old, as McCall explains. Adams, who also held the first record at that time for longest-living former U.S. president after leaving office, reportedly remained in relatively good health until the end. At the time that he died, Adams had been out of office for 25 years.

Though U.S. lifespans had no doubt lengthened in Carter's lifetime, in the years leading up to Carter's death, American life expectancy decreased somewhat in the United States due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors. On Carter nearly reaching the century mark, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) outreach director, Dr. Heather Boger, called the apparent longevity for some in Carter's generation astounding, such as actress Betty White who died at nearly 100 years old in 2022. Boger added, " ... [P]olitical party aside, you look at what Jimmy Carter was able to do, even after he didn't get reelected, what he went and made of his life is amazing."

After Adams, the next U.S. president to hold the record for the longest-lived after leaving office was Herbert Hoover, who lost the election for his second term, and left office in 1933, only to die some 32 years later at the age of 90. Nearly matching Hoover's record was Gerald Ford, who died almost 30 years after leaving office, in 2006, at the age of 96, and then, George H.W. Bush, who died age 94 in 2018, almost 26 years after he left The White House. With Carter now gone, he survived a record-setting 42 years after his presidency concluded. 

Ronald Reagan also lived a long time, dying at the age of 93, but as an older man when he was elected, Reagan only lived around 15 years after his second term ended. After Carter, every surviving U.S. president has lived past the age of 90 since 2004, so Carter's current record may not be long-lasting. Looking back, what did Carter consider his greatest accomplishment? When the 39th U.S. president was asked that question in 2015 on C-SPAN (via Twitter) Carter mentioned none of the offices he held, nor did he mention his long life, business dealings, or his dedication to humanitarian service. "The best thing I ever did was marry [Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter]... That's the pinnacle of my life," and, as it stands, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were the longest-married couple in U.S. presidential history.