Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
His wife, Rosalynn, who he was married to for 77 years, died in November 2023.
Announcing his death, Carter’s son Chip said his 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.”
Since 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, Carter was the oldest surviving US president.
Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last year and instead began receiving hospice care at his home. He had suffered from health issues including a melanoma that spread to his liver and brain.
Another leading tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on spending time with Carter, saying that “he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service”.
Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school well into his 90s, “will be a little quieter on Sundays”, Obama said.
“But President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.”
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke of Carter’s faith.
“President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end,” they said in a statement.