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.
| Assumed office | Leader | State | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 October 1967 [i] | Hassanal Bolkiah |
| |
| 15 September 1973 | Carl XVI Gustaf | King | |
| 30 June 1975 | Paul Biya |
| |
| 3 August 1979 | Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo [ii] |
| |
| 13 October 1981 | Ali Khamenei |
| |
| 10 August 1983 | Ntfombi |
| |
| 26 August 1984 | Hans-Adam II |
| |
| 29 January 1986 | Yoweri Museveni | President [v] | |
| 25 April 1986 | Mswati III | King | |
| 1 June 1990 | Harald V |
| |
| 27 April 1991 [vii] | Isaias Afwerki |
| |
| 19 November 1992 | Emomali Rahmon |
| |
| 20 July 1994 | Alexander Lukashenko |
| |
| 7 February 1996 | Letsie III | King [ix] | |
| 25 October 1997 | Denis Sassou Nguesso | President [x] | |
| 25 January 1999 | Abdullah II |
| |
| 6 March 1999 | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | ||
| 8 May 1999 | Ismaïl Omar Guelleh [xii] | President | |
| 23 July 1999 | Mohammed VI | King | |
| 9 August 1999 | Vladimir Putin |
|
| Assumed office | Leader | State | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 March 2000 | Paul Kagame |
| |
| 14 March 2003 | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| |
| 4 August 2003 | Ilham Aliyev [xiii] |
| |
| 12 December 2003 | Shavkat Mirziyoyev |
| |
| 8 January 2004 | Roosevelt Skerrit | Prime Minister | |
| 15 August 2004 | Alois | Prince-Regent [iv] | |
| 14 October 2004 | Norodom Sihamoni | King | |
| 15 January 2005 | Mahmoud Abbas | President [xv] | |
| 31 March 2005 | Albert II |
| |
| 4 May 2005 | Faure Gnassingbé [xvi] |
| |
| 30 July 2005 [xviii] | Salva Kiir Mayardit |
| |
| 11 February 2006 | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum [xx] | Prime Minister | |
| 9 December 2006 | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | King | |
| 10 January 2007 | Daniel Ortega [xxi] |
| |
| 26 February 2009 | Patrick Allen | Governor-General [xxiii] |
| Assumed office | Leader | State | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January | Delcy Rodríguez | Acting president [cxviii] | |
| 6 January | Stanley John | Governor-General [xxiii] | |
| 15 January | Shaea al-Zindani | Prime Minister [cxix] | |
| 23 January | Iliana Iotova | President | |
| Taking office | Leader | State | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 January | Nasry Asfura | President | |
| 11 March | José Antonio Kast | President |