This is a list of current heads of state and heads of government. In some cases, mainly in presidential systems, one leader is head of state and head of government. In other cases, mainly in semi-presidential and parliamentary systems, the head of state and the head of government are different people. In semi-presidential and parliamentary systems, the head of government role (i.e. executive branch) is fulfilled by the listed head of government and the head of state.
In one-party states, the ruling party's leader (i.e. General Secretary) is usually the de facto top leader of the state, though sometimes this leader also holds the presidency or premiership. In some countries like Andorra and Vatican City (Holy See), a clergy member also acts as the head of state for both countries (Bishop of Urgell as Co-Prince of Andorra and the Pope) and head of government for the latter (President of the Governorate of Vatican City State).
The list includes the names of recently elected or appointed heads of state and government who will take office on an appointed date, as presidents-elect and prime ministers-designate, and those leading a government in exile if internationally recognised.
| Colour key |
|---|
Green cells indicate leaders whose offices constitutionally administer the executive of their respective state/government. |
Blue cells indicate de facto executive branch leaders whose offices lack de jure constitutional power. |
The following states are in free association with another UN member state.
| State | Associated with | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cook Islands |  New Zealand | King – Charles III [lower-greek 13] King's Representative – Sir Tom Marsters | Prime Minister – Mark Brown |
 Niue | New Zealand | King – Charles III [lower-greek 13] King's Representative – Dame Cindy Kiro [lower-greek 9] | Premier – Dalton Tagelagi |
The following states control at least part of their territory and are recognised by at least one UN member state.
| State | Also claimed by | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|
 Abkhazia |  Georgia | President – Aslan Bzhania | Prime Minister – Aleksander Ankvab |
 Republic of China (Taiwan) |  People's Republic of China | President – Lai Ching-te | Premier – Cho Jung-tai |
 Kosovo |  Serbia | President – Vjosa Osmani | Prime Minister – Albin Kurti |
 Northern Cyprus |  Cyprus | President – Ersin Tatar | Prime Minister – Ünal Üstel |
 Sahrawi Republic |  Morocco | General Secretary of the Polisario Front – Brahim Ghali | |
| President – Brahim Ghali | Prime Minister – Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun | ||
 South Ossetia | Georgia | President – Alan Gagloyev | Prime Minister – Konstantin Dzhussoyev |
The following states control their territory, but are not recognised by any UN member states.
| State | Also claimed by | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|
 Somaliland |  Somalia | President – Muse Bihi Abdi | |
 Transnistria |  Moldova | President – Vadim Krasnoselsky | Prime Minister – Aleksander Rozenberg |
These alternative governments control part of their territory and are recognised as legitimate by at least one UN member state.
These alternative governments control part of their territory, but are not recognized as legitimate by any UN member states.
| Government | State | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|
 Government of National Stability | Libya | Supreme Commander of the Libyan National Army – Khalifa Haftar | |
| Chairman of the Presidential Council – Mohamed al-Menfi [lower-greek 14] | Acting Prime Minister – Osama Hammad [16] | ||
 Hamas government in Gaza |  Palestine | Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip – Yahya Sinwar | |
| President – Mahmoud Abbas [lower-greek 15] | Head of the Government Administrative Committee – Essam al-Da'alis | ||
 National Unity Government | Myanmar | Acting President – Duwa Lashi La | Prime Minister – Mahn Win Khaing Than |
 Syrian Salvation Government |  Syria | Commander-in-Chief of Tahrir al-Sham – Abu Mohammad al-Julani [17] | |
| President of the General Shura Council – Mustafa al-Mousa | Prime Minister – Ali Keda | ||
These alternative governments do not control their territory but are recognized as legitimate by at least one UN member state.
| Government | State | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|
 Coordination Council |  Belarus | President and Head of the Cabinet – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya | |
 National Assembly (2015) | Venezuela | President of the National Assembly – Dinorah Figuera [18] | |
Currently, the politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of a federal provisional government. Previously, a president was head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces in a de jure multi-party system. Legislative power was officially vested in both the government and in the two chambers, the National Assembly (lower) and the Council of States (higher), of the bicameral National Legislature. The judiciary is independent and obtained by the Constitutional Court. However, following a deadly civil war and the still ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan was widely recognized as a totalitarian state where all effective political power was held by President Omar al-Bashir and his National Congress Party (NCP). However, al-Bashir and the NCP were ousted in a military coup which occurred on April 11, 2019. The government of Sudan was then led by the Transitional Military Council or TMC. On 20 August 2019, the TMC dissolved giving its authority over to the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, who were planned to govern for 39 months until 2022, in the process of transitioning to democracy. However, the Sovereignty Council and the Sudanese government were dissolved in October 2021.
René Garcia Préval was a Haitian politician and agronomist who twice was President of Haiti, from early 1996 to early 2001, and again from mid-2006 to mid-2011. He was also Prime Minister from early to late 1991 under the presidency of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
The president of Haiti, officially called the president of the Republic of Haiti, is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government, which is headed by the prime minister of Haiti.[A133] The Transitional Presidential Council has been exercising the powers of the presidency since 25 April 2024. It has a mandate to act that concludes on 7 February 2026.
The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse. Provisional governments are generally appointed, and frequently arise, either during or after civil or foreign wars, or during difficult times such as during invasion, economic crisis, or widespread infiltration of saboteurs and counter-revolutionaries such as during the French Revolution.
Hérard Abraham was a Haitian military officer and politician who served as the acting President of Haiti in 1990, helping to lead its democratic transition.
The vice president of Sudan is the second highest political position obtainable in Sudan. Currently there is a provision for one de facto vice president, deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, who is appointed by the chairman of the council. Historically either the first or the second vice president was from Southern Sudan. From 2011 until the abolition of the post in 2019, the second vice president was from Darfur.
The Supreme Political Council is an executive body formed by the Houthi movement and the pro-Houthi faction of the General People's Congress (GPC) to rule Yemen. Formed on 28 July 2016, the presidential council consists of thirteen members and was headed by Saleh Ali al-Sammad as president until he was killed by a drone strike on 19 April 2018, with Qassem Labozah as vice-president. Presently the council is headed by Mahdi al-Mashat as Chairman. The territory that it rules consists most of the former North Yemen, which united with South Yemen in 1990.
The Southern Transitional Council is a secessionist organization in southern Yemen. The 26 members of the STC include the governors of five southern governorates and two government ministers. It was formed by a faction of the Southern Movement. It was established in 2017, and it has called for and worked toward the separation of southern Yemen from the rest of the nation as it previously was until 1990.
A coup d'état took place in Sudan in the late afternoon on 11 April 2019, when President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown by the Sudanese Armed Forces after popular protests demanded his departure. At that time, the army, led by Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, toppled the government and National Legislature and declared a state of emergency in the country for a period of 3 months, followed by a transitional period of two years before an agreement was reached later.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdelrahman al-Burhan is a Sudanese army general who is the de facto ruler of Sudan. Following the Sudanese Revolution in April 2019, he was handed control of the military junta, the Transitional Military Council, a day after it was formed, due to protesters' dissatisfaction with the establishment ties of initial leader Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf. He served as chairman of the TMC until a draft constitutional declaration signed with civilians went into effect on the 17th of August and a collective head of state Transitional Sovereignty Council was formed, also to be initially headed by al-Burhan.
Abdalla Hamdok Al-Kinani is a Sudanese public administrator who served as the 15th Prime Minister of Sudan from 2019 to October 2021, and again from November 2021 to 2 January 2022. Prior to his appointment, Hamdok served in numerous national and international administrative positions. From November 2011 to October 2018, he was deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). UNECA staff described Hamdok as "[a] diplomat, a humble man and a brilliant and disciplined mind". In 2020, Hamdok was named among Bloomberg's 50 Most Influential figures of the year.
Ariel Henry is a Haitian neurosurgeon and politician who served as the acting prime minister after the assassination of Jovenel Moïse, until his formal resignation on 24 April 2024. During this period where the role of the head of state was vacant, the Council of Ministers he presided exercised executive power. He also served as the acting Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities.
The political history of Africa in the 2020s covers political events on the continent, other than elections, from 2020 onwards.
The political history of Africa in the 2010s covers political events in the continent between 2010 and 2019.
The Transitional Presidential Council is a temporary body constituted on 12 April 2024 and sworn in on 25 April to exercise the powers and duties of the President of Haiti either until an elected president is inaugurated or until 7 February 2026, whichever comes first.
Hun Sen will however retain leadership of the ruling Cambodian People's Party - a position political analysts say still gives him ultimate control.•Murphy, Matt (6 August 2023). "Hun Sen: Cambodia election result confirms expected win for PM". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
[Hun Sen] is expected to become president of the Senate early next year and will serve as acting head of state when King Norodom Sihamoni is abroad.
On Tuesday, Henry was sworn in, pledging to hold new elections in 120 days. For now, Haiti has no president[...].
The constitutional mandate of Haiti's de facto ruler, Prime Minister Ariel Henry — which some viewed as questionable from the start, as he was never technically sworn in — ended more than a year ago. The country has had no president since its last one, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in 2021.
The 14-point deal between Hamdok and the military, signed in the presidential palace in Khartoum on Sunday, also provides for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup and stipulates that a 2019 constitutional declaration be the basis for a political transition, according to details read out on state television.
The head of the Salvation Government is [the prime minister], who assumed his post late last year, but the region's strongman is HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
