India, May 17 -- Robert Francis Prevost who took over the leadership of the catholic church as Pope Leo XIV is 69 year old, significantly younger than his predecessor Pope Francis (76 in 2013) and Pope Benedict XVI (78 in 2005) when they became popes. Leo XIV is the first modern pontiff to hold a degree in mathematics. These anecdotal observations raise some broader questions: are popes getting younger or older? How long do their tenures last? And how have their educational backgrounds evolved? The charts below explore each of these in detail.

Although Leo XIV, whose inauguration will be held on May 18 is younger than his immediate two predecessors at their time of election, this doesn't represent a long-term decline in papal age. Examin...