List of longest-ruling non-royal national leaders since 1900
This list details national leaders since 1900 who ruled for 20 years or more, and were not self-described members of a royal family. It also combines all national leader level offices held concurrently or consecutively by each individual.
Rank | Image | Name | Country | Title | Term began | Term ended | Term length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fidel Castro | El Comandante First Secretary Prime Minister President |
8 January 1959 [1] | 19 April 2011 [1] | 52 years, 101 days | ||
2 | Kim Il-sung | Chairman of the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea Chairman of the Provisional People's Committee General Secretary Premier President [Note 1] Generalissimo |
17 December 1945 | 8 July 1994 | 48 years, 203 days | ||
3 | Chiang Kai-shek | (1931–1949) (1949–1975) |
Chairman of the National Government Premier Director-General of the Kuomintang Generalissimo President |
9 July 1926 (1st time) |
14 August 1927 (1st time) |
48 years, 46 days (22 years, 265 days in Mainland China) (25 years, 116 days on Taiwan)[Note 2] | |
4 | Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal | General Secretary Prime Minister President |
8 April 1940 | 23 August 1984 | 44 years, 137 days | ||
5 | Paul Biya | Prime Minister President |
30 June 1975 | present | 43 years, 112 days | ||
6 | Omar Bongo | Acting President President |
12 November 1966 | 6 May 2009 | 42 years, 175 days | ||
7 | Muammar Gaddafi | Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council Secretary General of the General People's Congress Prime Minister |
1 September 1969 | 20 October 2011[Note 3] | 42 years, 49 days | ||
8 | Enver Hoxha | Prime Minister First Secretary |
22 October 1944 | 11 April 1985 | 40 years, 169 days | ||
9 | Mohamed Abdelaziz | General Secretary President |
30 August 1976 | 31 May 2016 | 39 years, 275 days | ||
10 | Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo | Chairman of the Supreme Military Council President |
3 August 1979 | present | 39 years, 78 days | ||
11 | Francisco Franco | Generalísimo Head of State Caudillo Prime Minister |
1 October 1936 | 20 November 1975 | 39 years, 50 days | ||
12 | Éamon de Valera | President of Dáil Éireann President of the Republic President of the Executive Council Taoiseach President |
1 April 1919 (1st time) |
9 January 1922 (1st time) |
38 years, 199 days | ||
13 | Gnassingbé Eyadéma | Chairman of military junta President |
14 January 1967 | 5 February 2005 | 38 years, 22 days | ||
14 | José Eduardo dos Santos | President and Chairman of the MPLA State President |
10 September 1979 | 26 September 2017[Note 4] | 38 years, 16 days | ||
15 | Robert Mugabe | Prime Minister Party President and First Secretary State President |
18 April 1980 | 21 November 2017 | 37 years, 217 days | ||
16 | Ali Khamenei | President Supreme Leader |
13 October 1981 | present | 37 years, 7 days | ||
17 | Josip Broz Tito | General Secretary/President of the Presidency of the Central Committee Prime Minister President Marshal |
29 November 1943 | 4 May 1980 | 36 years, 157 days | ||
18 | António de Oliveira Salazar | Prime Minister | 5 July 1932 | 25 September 1968 | 36 years, 82 days | ||
19 | Todor Zhivkov | General Secretary Prime Minister Chairman of the State Council |
4 March 1954 | 17 November 1989 | 35 years, 258 days | ||
20 | Alfredo Stroessner | Commander in Chief President |
5 May 1954 | 3 February 1989 | 34 years, 274 days | ||
21 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny | Prime Minister President |
1 May 1959 | 7 December 1993 | 34 years, 220 days | ||
22 | Denis Sassou Nguesso | President of the Central Committee State President |
8 February 1979 (1st time) |
31 August 1992 (1st time) |
34 years, 200 days | ||
Sonam Topgay Dorji | Chief Ministers (Gongzim) | 1917 | 1952 | 34 years, 1 day to 35 years, 364 days | |||
23 | Hun Sen | Prime Minister | 31 December 1984 | present | 33 years, 293 days | ||
24 | Ali Abdullah Saleh | President of North Yemen President |
24 June 1978 | 25 February 2012 | 33 years, 222 days[Note 5] (21 years, 279 days after unification) | ||
25 | Yoweri Museveni | President | 26 January 1986 | present | 32 years, 267 days | ||
26 | Dawda Jawara | Prime Minister President |
12 June 1962 | 22 July 1994 | 32 years, 40 days | ||
27 | Phạm Văn Đồng | Prime Minister | 20 September 1955 | 18 June 1987 | 31 years, 271 days | ||
28 | János Kádár | General Secretary Prime Minister |
25 October 1956 | 27 May 1988 | 31 years, 215 days | ||
29 | Habib Bourguiba | Prime Minister President |
11 April 1956 | 7 November 1987 | 31 years, 210 days | ||
30 | Lee Kuan Yew | Prime Minister | 5 June 1959 | 28 November 1990 | 31 years, 176 days[Note 6] | ||
31 | Mobutu Sese Seko | President | 24 November 1965 | 16 May 1997 | 31 years, 173 days | ||
32 | Hastings Kamuzu Banda | Prime Minister President |
1 February 1963 | 21 May 1994 | 31 years, 109 days | ||
33 | Rafael Trujillo | President Generalísimo |
3 March 1930 | 30 May 1961 | 31 years, 88 days | ||
34 | Suharto | President | 12 March 1967 | 21 May 1998 | 31 years, 70 days | ||
35 | Urho Kekkonen | Prime Minister President |
17 March 1950 (1st time) |
17 November 1953 (1st time) |
30 years, 342 days | ||
36 | Joseph Stalin | General Secretary Premier Marshal |
3 April 1922 | 5 March 1953 | 30 years, 336 days | ||
37 | Porfirio Díaz | President |
28 November 1876 (1st time) |
6 December 1876 (1st time) |
30 years, 106 days | ||
38 | Abdou Diouf | Prime Minister President |
26 February 1970 | 1 April 2000 | 30 years, 35 days | ||
39 | Maumoon Abdul Gayoom | President | 11 November 1978 | 11 November 2008 | 30 years, 0 days | ||
40 | Hafez al-Assad | Prime Minister President |
21 November 1970 | 10 June 2000 | 29 years, 202 days | ||
41 | Hosni Mubarak | Prime Minister President |
7 October 1981 | 11 February 2011 | 29 years, 127 days | ||
42 | Haxhi Lleshi | Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly | 1 August 1953 | 21 November 1982 | 29 years, 112 days | ||
43 | Omar al-Bashir | President of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation President |
30 June 1989 | present | 29 years, 112 days | ||
44 | İsmet İnönü | Prime Minister President |
1 November 1923 (1st time) |
22 November 1924 (1st time) |
28 years, 180 days | ||
45 | Mathieu Kérékou | President |
26 October 1972 (1st time) |
4 April 1991 (1st time) |
28 years, 162 days | ||
46 | France-Albert René | Prime Minister President |
29 June 1976 | 14 July 2004 | 28 years, 15 days | ||
47 | Idriss Déby | President of the Patriotic Salvation Movement President of the Council of State President |
2 December 1990 | present | 27 years, 322 days | ||
48 | William Tubman | President | 3 January 1944 | 23 July 1971 | 27 years, 201 days | ||
49 | Kamisese Mara | Prime Minister President |
10 October 1970 (1st time) |
13 April 1987 (1st time) |
27 years, 165 days | ||
50 | Mehmet Shehu | Prime Minister | 20 July 1954 | 18 December 1981 | 27 years, 151 days | ||
51 | Sir Anerood Jugnauth | Prime Minister President |
16 June 1982 (1st time) |
22 December 1995 (1st time) |
27 years, 50 days | ||
52 | Paul Eyschen | Prime Minister | 22 September 1888 | 11 October 1915 | 27 years, 19 days | ||
53 | Blaise Compaoré | President | 15 October 1987 | 31 October 2014 | 27 years, 16 days | ||
54 | Kenneth Kaunda | President | 24 October 1964 | 2 November 1991 | 27 years, 9 days | ||
55 | Mao Zedong | Chairman of the Central Committee Chairman of the People's Republic of China |
1 October 1949 | 9 September 1976 | 26 years, 344 days | ||
56 | Nursultan Nazarbayev | President | 16 December 1991 | present | 26 years, 308 days | ||
57 | John Paul II | Pope Sovereign of the Holy See |
16 October 1978 | 2 April 2005 | 26 years, 168 days | ||
58 | Zhou Enlai | Premier | 1 October 1949 | 8 January 1976 | 26 years, 99 days | ||
59 | Pedro Pires | Prime Minister President |
8 July 1975 (1st time) |
4 April 1991 (1st time) |
26 years, 76 days | ||
60 | Emomali Rahmon | Acting Chairman of the Supreme Council Chairman of the Supreme Council President |
19 November 1992 | present | 25 years, 335 days | ||
61 | Lê Duẩn | General Secretary | 10 September 1960 | 10 July 1986 | 25 years, 303 days | ||
62 | Ahmed Sékou Touré | President | 2 October 1958 | 26 March 1984 | 25 years, 176 days | ||
63 | Leo XIII | Pope Sovereign of the Holy See |
20 February 1878 | 20 July 1903 | 25 years, 150 days | ||
64 | Isaias Afwerki | President [Note 7] | 23 May 1993 | present | 25 years, 150 days | ||
65 | Islam Karimov | President | 1 September 1991 | 2 September 2016 | 25 years, 1 day | ||
66 | Sir Colville Young | Governor-General | 17 November 1993 | present | years, 337 days 24 | ||
67 | Óscar Carmona | Prime Minister President |
9 July 1926 | 18 April 1951 | 24 years, 283 days | ||
68 | Nicolae Ceaușescu | General Secretary President |
22 March 1965 | 22 December 1989 | 24 years, 275 days | ||
69 | Lansana Conté | President | 5 April 1984 | 22 December 2008 | 24 years, 261 days | ||
70 | Daniel arap Moi | Acting President President |
22 August 1978 | 30 December 2002 | 24 years, 130 days | ||
71 | Alexander Lukashenko | President | 20 July 1994 | present | 24 years, 92 days | ||
72 | João Bernardo Vieira | Prime Minister President |
22 September 1978 (1st time) |
14 May 1984 (1st time) |
24 years, 13 days | ||
73 | Ho Chi Minh | President General Secretary |
2 September 1945 | 2 September 1969 | 24 years, 0 days | ||
74 | Saddam Hussein | Prime Minister President |
16 July 1979 | 9 April 2003 | 23 years, 267 days | ||
75 | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali | Prime Minister President |
2 October 1987 | 14 January 2011 | 23 years, 104 days | ||
76 | Walter Ulbricht | First Secretary Chairman of the State Council |
25 July 1950 | 1 August 1973 | 23 years, 7 days | ||
77 | Tage Erlander | Prime Minister | 11 October 1946 | 14 October 1969 | 23 years, 3 days | ||
78 | Ahmadou Ahidjo | Prime Minister President |
1 January 1960 | 6 November 1982 | 22 years, 309 days | ||
79 | Joaquín Balaguer | President President of the Council of State junta[Note 8] |
30 May 1961 (1st time) |
16 January 1962 (1st time) |
22 years, 277 days | ||
80 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister |
16 July 1981 (1st time) |
31 October 2003 (1st time) |
22 years, 270 days | ||
81 | Yahya Jammeh | Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council President |
22 July 1994 | 21 January 2017 | 22 years, 183 days | ||
82 | Benito Mussolini | Prime Minister Duce |
31 October 1922 (1st time) |
25 July 1943 (1st time) |
22 years, 116 days | ||
83 | Sam Hinds | Prime Minister President |
9 October 1992 (1st time) |
17 March 1997 (1st time) |
21 years, 308 days | ||
84 | Hassan Gouled Aptidon | Prime Minister President |
27 June 1977 | 8 May 1999 | 21 years, 285 days | ||
85 | Sukarno | President | 18 August 1945 | 12 March 1967 | 21 years, 206 days | ||
86 | Artur Rasizade | Prime Minister |
20 July 1996 (1st time) |
4 August 2003 (1st time) |
21 years, 183 days | ||
87 | William Lyon Mackenzie King | Prime Minister |
29 December 1921 (1st time) |
28 June 1926 (1st time) |
21 years, 154 days | ||
88 | Siad Barre | President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council President |
21 October 1969 | 26 January 1991 | 21 years, 97 days | ||
89 | Daniel Ortega | Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction [Note 9] President |
4 March 1981 (1st time) |
25 April 1990 (1st time) |
20 years, 335 days | ||
90 | Juvénal Habyarimana | President | 5 July 1973 | 6 April 1994 | 20 years, 275 days | ||
91 | Leabua Jonathan | Prime Minister | 7 July 1965 | 20 January 1986 | 20 years, 197 days | ||
92 | Léopold Sédar Senghor | President | 6 September 1960 | 31 December 1980 | 20 years, 116 days | ||
93 | Dame Pearlette Louisy | Governor-General | 19 September 1997 | 31 December 2017 | years, 103 days 20 | ||
94 | Ferdinand Marcos | President | 30 December 1965 | 25 February 1986 | 20 years, 57 days | ||
95 | Kim Yong-nam | President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly [Note 10] | 5 September 1998 | present | 20 years, 45 days | ||
96 | Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson | President | 1 August 1996 | 1 August 2016 | 20 years, 0 days | ||
97 | William Tolbert | Liberia | Vice President
President |
1 January 1952 (first time)
23 July 1971 (second time) |
23 July 1971 (first time)
12 April 1980 (second time) |
See also
Notes
- ↑ The late Kim Il-sung has been designated "Eternal President of the Republic" and the post of President has formally not been filled since his death on 8 July 1994. However, effectively his son Kim Jong-il and grandson Kim Jong-un have succeeded him as dictators.
- ↑ After the first time Chiang Kai-shek stepped down in December 1931, his power was shared by Hu Hanmin, Wang Jingwei, and Lin Sen among others. After the second time he left his state position in January 1949, Chiang was succeed by then Vice President Li Zongren. However, Chiang was still the de facto leader of Mainland China until he and the Kuomintang moved to Taiwan in December 1949.
- ↑ For purposes of this article, 20 October 2011 is considered to be the date that Gaddafi left office. Other dates might have been chosen.
- On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, more than 30 governments, including the United States, withdrew recognition from Gaddafi's government and recognised the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate government of Libya.
- On 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli, Gaddafi lost effective political and military control of Tripoli after his compound was captured by rebel forces.
- On 25 August 2011, the Arab League proclaimed the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state".
- On 20 October 2011, Gaddafi was captured and killed near his hometown of Sirte.
- In a ceremony on 23 October 2011, officials of the interim National Transitional Council declared, "We declare to the whole world that we have liberated our beloved country, with its cities, villages, hill-tops, mountains, deserts and skies."
- ↑ Dos Santos was President of the ruling MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) from 20 September 1979 – 7 September 2018.
- ↑ Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi served as Acting President from 4 June 2011 – 23 September 2011 and again from 23 November 2011 – 27 February 2012.
- ↑ After leaving office as Prime Minister, Lee was given the emeritus positions of Senior Minister (1990–2004) and Minister Mentor (2004–2011). Lee still had effective influence in the Cabinet until 2011.
- ↑ The country gained independence from Ethiopia on 23 May 1993. Afwerki was Secretary-General of the Provisional Government from 27 April 1991 – 23 May 1993.
- ↑ The Council of State junta led by Balaguer existed from 1 January 1962 – 16 January 1962, when it was replaced by the 1962 Civic-Military Junta led by Huberto Bogaert.
- ↑ Ortega was the Coordinator of the Nicaraguan Junta of National Reconstruction (effectively the head of state) from 4 March 1981 to 10 January 1985; he was then President from 10 January 1985 – 25 April 1990 and 10 January 2007 – present.
- ↑ The late Kim Il-sung has been designated "Eternal President of North Korea" and the post of President has not been filled since his death on 8 July 1994.
References
- 1 2 Depalma, Anthony (2011-08-03). "Fidel Castro News". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
External links
- Rulers.org List of rulers throughout time and places