This is a list of current state leaders ordered by their continuous tenure in a position of national leadership. For countries in which the
head of state and
head of government are separate, both offices are listed. For leaders who held the same office prior to their
state's independence, the start of their tenure is used, not independence. For a list of heads of state taking dates of independence into account, see
List of heads of state by diplomatic precedence.
Acting presidents are included in this list, but if a leader has non-consecutive terms, only the current period of service is listed.
States where head of state differs from head of government are mainly
parliamentary systems. Often a leader holds both positions in
presidential systems or
dictatorships. Some states have
semi-presidential systems where the head of government role is fulfilled by both the listed head of government and the head of state.
Acting Prime Minister: 9 August 1999 – 16 August 1999 Prime Minister: 16 August 1999 – 7 May 2000 Acting President: 31 December 1999 – 7 May 2000 President: 7 May 2000 – 7 May 2008 Prime Minister: 8 May 2008 – 7 May 2012 President: 7 May 2012 – present
^Letsie III was previously King of Lesotho from 12 November 1990 – 25 January 1995.
^Denis Sassou Nguesso was previously President of the
People's Republic of the Congo / Republic of the Congo from 8 February 1979 – 31 August 1992. Sassou Nguesso was the de facto head of state of the Republic of the Congo as a
militia leader from 15 October 1997 – 25 October 1997.
^The country was called the
State of Bahrain before 14 February 2002.
^Daniel Ortega was a member (and during 4 March 1981 – 10 January 1985 the Coordinator) of the
Junta of National Reconstruction of Nicaragua 18 July 1979 – 10 January 1985; he was President of Nicaragua from 10 January 1985 – 25 April 1990.
^Prime Minister Trudeau is the son of former Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau.
^
abcdefgThe Swiss Federal Council is a collective seven-member Head of State. The President of Switzerland serves solely in a primus inter pares capacity for one year.
^Andrew Holness was Prime Minister of Jamaica from 23 October 2011 – 5 January 2012.
^Azali Assoumani was Chief of Staff of the National Development Army (de facto leader of the Comoros) from 30 April 1999 – 6 May 1999, Head of State of the Comoros from 6 May 1999 – 21 January 2002, then the elected President from 6 May 2002 – 26 May 2006.
^President Akufo-Addo is the son of a former president,
Edward Akufo-Addo.
^Prime Minister Jugnauth is the son of a former prime minister and president, Sir
Anerood Jugnauth.
^Ismail Haniyeh was
Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority from 29 March 2006 – 2 June 2014 (Note: during 29 March 2006 – 14 June 2007, Haniyeh's premiership was not under dispute and he exercised authority over all areas controlled by the
Palestinian National Authority), and was
Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip from 2 June 2014 – 13 February 2017.
^Afioga Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II was
Acting O le Ao o le Malo from 11 May 2007 – 20 June 2007.
^When Barbados had a monarch as head of state, the Governor-General of Barbados represented
Elizabeth II, who was
Queen of the country. Sandra Mason was Acting Governor-General of Barbados from 30 May 2012 – 1 June 2012.
^Julius Maada Bio was Head of State of Sierra Leone (as leader of the Supreme Council of State) from 16 January 1996 – 29 March 1996.
^The office of
Head of State of Cuba was styled as President of the Council of State from 2 December 1976 – 10 October 2019, then as President of the Republic 10 October 2019 – present.
^The office of
Head of Government of Cuba was styled as President of the Council of Ministers from 2 December 1976 – 21 December 2019, then as Prime Minister from 21 December 2019 – present.
^Željko Komšić was a Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 6 November 2006 – 17 November 2014, and served as the Chairman of the Presidency from 6 July 2007 – 6 March 2008, 6 July 2009 – 6 March 2010, 10 July 2011 – 10 March 2012, and 10 July 2013 – 10 March 2014.
^
abcIn Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Presidency is a Tripartite council, with the
Chairman of the Presidency rotating every eight months.
^Robert Abela is the son of former president
George Abela.
^Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun was Prime Minister of the Sahrawi Republic from 19 September 1993 – 8 September 1995 and 10 February 1999 – 29 October 2003.
^Andrey Belousov was
acting as Prime Minister for Mikhail Mishustin from 30 April 2020 – 19 May 2020.
^Aleksander Ankvab was Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 14 February 2005 – 13 February 2010 and
President of Abkhazia from 29 May 2011 – 1 June 2014.
Russia recognized Abkhazia as an independent state on 26 August 2008.
^As part of a
ceasefire agreement, the office of Head of State of Libya consists of a Tripartite presidential council.
^The office of Prime Minister of Libya has been in dispute between Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and
Fathi Bashagha/
Osama Hamada, the interim prime minister of the Government of National Stability supported by the
Tobruk-based
House of Representatives, since 3 March 2022.
^Albin Kurti was Prime Minister of Kosovo from 3 February 2020 – 3 June 2020.
^The office of Head of State of Yemen has been in dispute between Rashad Al-Alimi and the Leader of the
Supreme Political Council,
Mahdi al-Mashat, since 7 April 2022.
^Ranil Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 7 May 1993 – 18 August 1994, 9 December 2001 – 6 April 2004, 9 January 2015 – 26 October 2018 and 15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019. The office of Prime Minister
was disputed between Wickremesinghe and
Mahinda Rajapaksa from 26 October 2018 – 15 December 2018.
^Han Duck-soo was
Acting Prime Minister of South Korea from 14 March 2006 – 19 April 2006 and Prime Minister of South Korea from 2 April 2007 – 29 February 2008.
^Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was President of Somalia from 16 September 2012 – 16 February 2017.
^Mohammed bin Salman is the son of the current King,
Salman.
^Patrice Trovoada is the son of former prime minister and president
Miguel Trovoada.
^Patrice Trovoada was Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from 14 February 2008 – 22 June 2008, 14 August 2010 – 12 December 2012 and 25 November 2014 – 3 December 2018.
^Choguel Kokalla Maïga was Acting Prime Minister of Mali from 6 June 2021 – 21 August 2022.
^Hadi al-Bahra was President of the Syrian National Coalition from 9 July 2014 – 4 January 2015.
^Charlot Salwai was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 February 2016 – 20 April 2020.
^Robert Fico was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 4 July 2006 – 8 July 2010 and 4 April 2012 – 22 March 2018.
^David Adeang is the son of former president
Kennan Adeang.
^Donald Tusk was Prime Minister of Poland from 16 November 2007 – 22 September 2014.
^Andry Rajoelina was Head of State of Madagascar (as President of the
High Transitional Authority) from 17 March 2009 – 25 January 2014, then the elected President from 19 January 2019 – 9 September 2023.
^Shehbaz Sharif is the brother of former Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif.
^Shehbaz Sharif was Prime Minister of Pakistan from 11 April 2022 – 13 August 2023.
^Asif Ali Zardari is the widower of former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto.
^Asif Ali Zardari was President of Pakistan from 9 September 2008 – 9 September 2013.
^Alessandro Rossi was a Captain Regent of San Marino from 1 April 2007 – 1 October 2007.
^Bjarni Benediktsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 11 January 2017 – 30 November 2017.
^Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah is the fifth son of Sheikh Abdullah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, and the grandson of
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the tenth
Emir of Kuwait.
^Lai Ching-te was
Premier of Taiwan from 8 September 2017 – 14 January 2019.
This is a list of current state leaders ordered by their continuous tenure in a position of national leadership. For countries in which the
head of state and
head of government are separate, both offices are listed. For leaders who held the same office prior to their
state's independence, the start of their tenure is used, not independence. For a list of heads of state taking dates of independence into account, see
List of heads of state by diplomatic precedence.
Acting presidents are included in this list, but if a leader has non-consecutive terms, only the current period of service is listed.
States where head of state differs from head of government are mainly
parliamentary systems. Often a leader holds both positions in
presidential systems or
dictatorships. Some states have
semi-presidential systems where the head of government role is fulfilled by both the listed head of government and the head of state.
Acting Prime Minister: 9 August 1999 – 16 August 1999 Prime Minister: 16 August 1999 – 7 May 2000 Acting President: 31 December 1999 – 7 May 2000 President: 7 May 2000 – 7 May 2008 Prime Minister: 8 May 2008 – 7 May 2012 President: 7 May 2012 – present
^Letsie III was previously King of Lesotho from 12 November 1990 – 25 January 1995.
^Denis Sassou Nguesso was previously President of the
People's Republic of the Congo / Republic of the Congo from 8 February 1979 – 31 August 1992. Sassou Nguesso was the de facto head of state of the Republic of the Congo as a
militia leader from 15 October 1997 – 25 October 1997.
^The country was called the
State of Bahrain before 14 February 2002.
^Daniel Ortega was a member (and during 4 March 1981 – 10 January 1985 the Coordinator) of the
Junta of National Reconstruction of Nicaragua 18 July 1979 – 10 January 1985; he was President of Nicaragua from 10 January 1985 – 25 April 1990.
^Prime Minister Trudeau is the son of former Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau.
^
abcdefgThe Swiss Federal Council is a collective seven-member Head of State. The President of Switzerland serves solely in a primus inter pares capacity for one year.
^Andrew Holness was Prime Minister of Jamaica from 23 October 2011 – 5 January 2012.
^Azali Assoumani was Chief of Staff of the National Development Army (de facto leader of the Comoros) from 30 April 1999 – 6 May 1999, Head of State of the Comoros from 6 May 1999 – 21 January 2002, then the elected President from 6 May 2002 – 26 May 2006.
^President Akufo-Addo is the son of a former president,
Edward Akufo-Addo.
^Prime Minister Jugnauth is the son of a former prime minister and president, Sir
Anerood Jugnauth.
^Ismail Haniyeh was
Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority from 29 March 2006 – 2 June 2014 (Note: during 29 March 2006 – 14 June 2007, Haniyeh's premiership was not under dispute and he exercised authority over all areas controlled by the
Palestinian National Authority), and was
Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip from 2 June 2014 – 13 February 2017.
^Afioga Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II was
Acting O le Ao o le Malo from 11 May 2007 – 20 June 2007.
^When Barbados had a monarch as head of state, the Governor-General of Barbados represented
Elizabeth II, who was
Queen of the country. Sandra Mason was Acting Governor-General of Barbados from 30 May 2012 – 1 June 2012.
^Julius Maada Bio was Head of State of Sierra Leone (as leader of the Supreme Council of State) from 16 January 1996 – 29 March 1996.
^The office of
Head of State of Cuba was styled as President of the Council of State from 2 December 1976 – 10 October 2019, then as President of the Republic 10 October 2019 – present.
^The office of
Head of Government of Cuba was styled as President of the Council of Ministers from 2 December 1976 – 21 December 2019, then as Prime Minister from 21 December 2019 – present.
^Željko Komšić was a Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 6 November 2006 – 17 November 2014, and served as the Chairman of the Presidency from 6 July 2007 – 6 March 2008, 6 July 2009 – 6 March 2010, 10 July 2011 – 10 March 2012, and 10 July 2013 – 10 March 2014.
^
abcIn Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Presidency is a Tripartite council, with the
Chairman of the Presidency rotating every eight months.
^Robert Abela is the son of former president
George Abela.
^Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun was Prime Minister of the Sahrawi Republic from 19 September 1993 – 8 September 1995 and 10 February 1999 – 29 October 2003.
^Andrey Belousov was
acting as Prime Minister for Mikhail Mishustin from 30 April 2020 – 19 May 2020.
^Aleksander Ankvab was Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 14 February 2005 – 13 February 2010 and
President of Abkhazia from 29 May 2011 – 1 June 2014.
Russia recognized Abkhazia as an independent state on 26 August 2008.
^As part of a
ceasefire agreement, the office of Head of State of Libya consists of a Tripartite presidential council.
^The office of Prime Minister of Libya has been in dispute between Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and
Fathi Bashagha/
Osama Hamada, the interim prime minister of the Government of National Stability supported by the
Tobruk-based
House of Representatives, since 3 March 2022.
^Albin Kurti was Prime Minister of Kosovo from 3 February 2020 – 3 June 2020.
^The office of Head of State of Yemen has been in dispute between Rashad Al-Alimi and the Leader of the
Supreme Political Council,
Mahdi al-Mashat, since 7 April 2022.
^Ranil Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 7 May 1993 – 18 August 1994, 9 December 2001 – 6 April 2004, 9 January 2015 – 26 October 2018 and 15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019. The office of Prime Minister
was disputed between Wickremesinghe and
Mahinda Rajapaksa from 26 October 2018 – 15 December 2018.
^Han Duck-soo was
Acting Prime Minister of South Korea from 14 March 2006 – 19 April 2006 and Prime Minister of South Korea from 2 April 2007 – 29 February 2008.
^Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was President of Somalia from 16 September 2012 – 16 February 2017.
^Mohammed bin Salman is the son of the current King,
Salman.
^Patrice Trovoada is the son of former prime minister and president
Miguel Trovoada.
^Patrice Trovoada was Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from 14 February 2008 – 22 June 2008, 14 August 2010 – 12 December 2012 and 25 November 2014 – 3 December 2018.
^Choguel Kokalla Maïga was Acting Prime Minister of Mali from 6 June 2021 – 21 August 2022.
^Hadi al-Bahra was President of the Syrian National Coalition from 9 July 2014 – 4 January 2015.
^Charlot Salwai was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 February 2016 – 20 April 2020.
^Robert Fico was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 4 July 2006 – 8 July 2010 and 4 April 2012 – 22 March 2018.
^David Adeang is the son of former president
Kennan Adeang.
^Donald Tusk was Prime Minister of Poland from 16 November 2007 – 22 September 2014.
^Andry Rajoelina was Head of State of Madagascar (as President of the
High Transitional Authority) from 17 March 2009 – 25 January 2014, then the elected President from 19 January 2019 – 9 September 2023.
^Shehbaz Sharif is the brother of former Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif.
^Shehbaz Sharif was Prime Minister of Pakistan from 11 April 2022 – 13 August 2023.
^Asif Ali Zardari is the widower of former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto.
^Asif Ali Zardari was President of Pakistan from 9 September 2008 – 9 September 2013.
^Alessandro Rossi was a Captain Regent of San Marino from 1 April 2007 – 1 October 2007.
^Bjarni Benediktsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 11 January 2017 – 30 November 2017.
^Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah is the fifth son of Sheikh Abdullah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, and the grandson of
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the tenth
Emir of Kuwait.
^Lai Ching-te was
Premier of Taiwan from 8 September 2017 – 14 January 2019.