"America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
He added later in a televised address that Carter "lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds."
"We'd all do well to try and be a little more like Jimmy Carter."
President-elect Donald Trump said Americans owe Carter "a debt of gratitude."
"The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans," he said on social media.
Among former US presidents, Bill Clinton said his predecessor had "worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world."
George W. Bush said Carter "dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn't end with the presidency."
Barack Obama hailed Carter for teaching "all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service."
- 'Lover of democracy' -
The 39th US president "was early to recognize that protecting our shared planet and promoting global public health were vital to national security interests," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Carter would be remembered "for his solidarity with the vulnerable, his abiding grace, and his unrelenting faith in the common good and our common humanity."
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted Carter's post-presidency work with his foundation "saved countless lives and helped bring many neglected tropical diseases close to elimination."
Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised Carter as "a symbol of humanitarian efforts" for his role in brokering the historic 1978 Camp David Accords, which established peace between Egypt and its most serious adversary at the time, Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the treaty Carter clinched "remains an anchor of stability throughout the Middle East and North Africa many decades later."
"His legacy will be defined by his deep commitment to forging peace between nations," Herzog said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said with the death of Carter, "The United States lost a fighter for democracy. The world lost a great mediator for peace in the Middle East and for human rights."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Carter "was always thoughtful and generous with his advice to me."
Mexico's ministry of foreign affairs called Carter's death a "regrettable loss."
Britain's King Charles said Carter's "dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many," while Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to the US leader's "lifelong dedication to peace."
In Panama, where Carter reached an agreement to hand over the Panama Canal, then under US control, President Jose Mulino praised the Democrat for helping his country achieve "full sovereignty."
Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Carter as "a lover of democracy and defender of peace," noting his pressuring of Brazil's dictatorship to release political prisoners.
"He will be remembered forever as a name that defends the idea that peace is the most important condition for development," Lula said.
Though many focused on his time in office, from 1977-1981, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted Carter's "unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's unprovoked aggression."
French President Emmanuel Macron said Carter had "been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace."
In China, where Carter's administration made the decision to establish formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing, the foreign ministry hailed his "important contributions".
"Former President Carter was the promoter and decision-maker of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
- 'Look to the stars' -
Carter's legacy lies even beyond Earth, as NASA Administrator Bill Nelson pointed out Sunday.
The space agency's Voyager 1 probe, launched in 1977 and still flying through the stars, carries a recorded message from Carter "that captures his core goodness and grace."
Carter says in the recording: "This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings.
"We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations."
Nelson, in a statement, added that "President Carter understood an important truth: that we find common ground when we look to the stars."
Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Atlanta (AFP) Dec 30, 2024 -
Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation said Sunday.
Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House.
Carter died "peacefully" at his home in Plains, "surrounded by his family," the Carter Center said in a statement.
"My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love," Chip Carter said in the statement.
Carter was the longest-lived US president -- an outcome that seemed unlikely back in 2015 when the Southern Democrat revealed he had brain cancer.
But the US Navy veteran and fervent Christian repeatedly defied the odds to enjoy a long and fruitful post-presidency, after four years in the Oval Office often seen as disappointing.
During his single term, Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years that included brokering a peace deal between Israel and Egypt dubbed the Camp David Accords.
But his administration hit numerous snags -- the most serious being the taking of US hostages in Iran and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980. He also came in for criticism for his handling of an oil crisis.
Republican challenger Ronald Reagan clobbered Carter at the polls in November of that year, relegating the Democrat to just one term. Reagan, a former actor and governor of California, swept into office on a wave of staunch conservatism.
- Active post-presidency -
As the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged -- one that took into account his significant post-presidential activities.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and he was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice.
He observed numerous elections around the world and emerged as a prominent international mediator, tackling global problems from North Korea to Bosnia.
Carter, known for his toothy smile, said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency. He taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s.
Outside the White House, where the flag was lowered to half-staff, tourist Yoni Neirman remembered Carter, for whom she voted, as "a real statesman, and that kind of person doesn't seem to exist, at least not in the near future."
In Georgia, retiree Dorner Carmichael expressed the same sentiment.
"Every time you lose a person of such integrity, who spent his life in service, you just wonder who will fill his shoes," the 75-year-old told AFP.
- 'Leader, statesman and humanitarian' -
As condolences came in, many focused on Carter's character, with President Joe Biden, in televised remarks, saying he "lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds."
"The rest of the world looks to us... and he was worth looking to."
Biden later declared January 9 as a national day of mourning, calling on Americans to visit their places of worship to "pay homage" and inviting "the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance."
White House leaders past and future joined the president in issuing remembrances, with Bill Clinton saying in a statement that Carter "worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world."
George W. Bush said Carter's legacy would "inspire Americans for generations," while Barack Obama said the former leader "taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service."
Donald Trump said Americans owed the Democrat "a debt of gratitude," adding later in a second social media post that "I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically."
One of Carter's defining foreign policy achievements -- negotiating the return of the Panama Canal to Panama -- has come back into focus as Trump has threatened to retake the channel.
Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also hailed Carter on Sunday as "a symbol of humanitarian efforts" for his role in brokering the 1978 Camp David Accords, predicting his work would "remain etched in the annals of history."
Israel's President Isaac Herzog said the peace treaty Carter forged "remains an anchor of stability throughout the Middle East and North Africa many decades later."
In China, the foreign ministry hailed Carter as "the promoter and decision-maker of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States."
Carter was preceded in death by Rosalynn, his wife of 77 years. She died on November 19, 2023, at age 96.
The former president, who looked frail, poignantly appeared at her memorial service in a wheelchair, with a blanket on his lap bearing their likenesses.
Carter is survived by the couple's four children -- three sons and a daughter.
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