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 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 | Cuba |
El Comandante First Secretary Prime Minister President |
8 January 1959 [1] | 19 April 2011 [1] | 52 years, 101 days | |
2 | Paul Biya | Cameroon |
Prime Minister President |
30 June 1975 | present | 48 years, 298 days | |
3 | Chiang Kai-shek |
Republic of China Republic of China on Taiwan |
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, 296 days in Mainland China) (25 years, 116 days on Taiwan) [Note 1] | |
4 | Kim Il-sung | North Korea |
Chairman of the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea Chairman of the Provisional People's Committee General Secretary Premier President [Note 2] Generalissimo |
9 September 1948 | 8 July 1994 | 45 years, 302 days | |
5 | Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal | Mongolian People's Republic |
General Secretary Prime Minister President |
8 April 1940 | 23 August 1984 | 44 years, 137 days | |
6 | Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo | Equatorial Guinea |
Chairman of the Supreme Military Council President |
3 August 1979 | present | 44 years, 264 days | |
7 | Omar Bongo | Gabon |
Acting President President |
12 November 1966 | 6 May 2009 | 42 years, 175 days | |
8 | Ali Khamenei | Iran |
President Supreme Leader |
13 October 1981 | present | 42 years, 193 days | |
9 | Muammar Gaddafi |
Libyan Arab Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya |
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 | 23 August 2011 [Note 3] | 41 years, 356 days | |
10 | Enver Hoxha |
Democratic Government of Albania People's Republic of Albania People's Socialist Republic of Albania |
Prime Minister First Secretary |
22 October 1944 | 11 April 1985 | 40 years, 169 days | |
11 | Mohamed Abdelaziz | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |
General Secretary President |
30 August 1976 | 31 May 2016 | 39 years, 275 days | |
12 | Denis Sassou Nguesso |
People's Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo |
President of the Central Committee State President |
8 February 1979 (1st time) |
31 August 1992 (1st time) |
40 years, 20 days | |
13 | Francisco Franco | Spanish State |
Generalísimo Head of State Caudillo Prime Minister |
1 October 1936 | 20 November 1975 | 39 years, 50 days | |
14 | Hun Sen |
People's Republic of Kampuchea State of Cambodia Cambodia |
Prime Minister | 26 December 1984 | 22 August 2023 | 38 years, 239 days | |
15 | Éamon de Valera |
Irish Republic Irish Free State Ireland |
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 | |
16 | Gnassingbé Eyadéma | Togo |
Chairman of military junta President |
14 January 1967 | 5 February 2005 | 38 years, 22 days | |
17 | José Eduardo dos Santos |
People's Republic of Angola Angola |
President and Chairman of the MPLA State President |
10 September 1979 | 26 September 2017 [Note 4] | 38 years, 16 days | |
18 | Yoweri Museveni | Uganda | President | 26 January 1986 | present | 38 years, 88 days | |
19 | Robert Mugabe | Zimbabwe |
Prime Minister Party President and First Secretary State President |
18 April 1980 | 21 November 2017 | 37 years, 217 days | |
20 | Josip Broz Tito |
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
General Secretary/President of the Presidency of the Central Committee Prime Minister President Marshal |
29 November 1943 | 4 May 1980 | 36 years, 157 days | |
21 | António de Oliveira Salazar | Second Portuguese Republic | Prime Minister | 5 July 1932 | 25 September 1968 | 36 years, 82 days | |
22 | Todor Zhivkov | People's Republic of Bulgaria |
General Secretary Prime Minister Chairman of the State Council |
4 March 1954 | 17 November 1989 | 35 years, 258 days | |
23 | Alfredo Stroessner | Paraguay |
Commander in Chief President |
5 May 1954 | 3 February 1989 | 34 years, 274 days | |
24 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny | Côte d'Ivoire |
Prime Minister President |
1 May 1959 | 7 December 1993 | 34 years, 220 days | |
22–25 | Sonam Topgay Dorji | Bhutan | Chief Minister | 1917 | 1952 | 34 years, 1 day to 35 years, 364 days | |
25 | Ali Abdullah Saleh |
North Yemen Yemen |
President of North Yemen President |
24 June 1978 | 25 February 2012 | 33 years, 222 days
[Note 5] (21 years, 279 days after unification) | |
26 | Dawda Jawara | The Gambia |
Prime Minister President |
12 June 1962 | 22 July 1994 | 32 years, 40 days | |
27 | Phạm Văn Đồng |
North Vietnam Vietnam |
Prime Minister | 20 September 1955 | 18 June 1987 | 31 years, 271 days (10 years, 351 days after unification) | |
28 | János Kádár | Hungarian People's Republic |
General Secretary Prime Minister |
25 October 1956 | 27 May 1988 | 31 years, 215 days | |
29 | Habib Bourguiba | Tunisia |
Prime Minister President |
11 April 1956 | 7 November 1987 | 31 years, 210 days | |
30 | Lee Kuan Yew | Singapore | Prime Minister | 5 June 1959 | 28 November 1990 | 31 years, 176 days [Note 6] | |
31 | Mobutu Sese Seko |
Democratic Republic of the Congo Zaire |
President | 24 November 1965 | 16 May 1997 | 31 years, 173 days | |
32 | Hastings Kamuzu Banda | Malaŵi |
Prime Minister President |
1 February 1963 | 21 May 1994 | 31 years, 109 days | |
33 | Rafael Trujillo | Dominican Republic |
President Generalísimo |
3 March 1930 | 30 May 1961 | 31 years, 88 days | |
34 | Suharto | Indonesia | President | 12 March 1967 | 21 May 1998 | 31 years, 70 days | |
35 | Emomali Rahmon | Tajikistan |
Acting Chairman of the Supreme Council Chairman of the Supreme Council President |
19 November 1992 | present | 31 years, 156 days | |
36 | Urho Kekkonen | Finland |
Prime Minister President |
17 March 1950 (1st time) |
17 November 1953 (1st time) |
30 years, 342 days | |
37 | Joseph Stalin | Soviet Union |
General Secretary Premier Marshal |
3 April 1922 | 5 March 1953 | 30 years, 336 days | |
38 | Isaias Afwerki | Eritrea | President [Note 7] | 23 May 1993 | present | 30 years, 336 days | |
39 | Idriss Déby | Chad |
President of the Patriotic Salvation Movement President of the Council of State President |
2 December 1990 | 20 April 2021 | 30 years, 139 days | |
40 | Porfirio Díaz | Mexico | President |
28 November 1876 (1st time) |
6 December 1876 (1st time) |
30 years, 106 days | |
41 | Abdou Diouf | Senegal |
Prime Minister President |
26 February 1970 | 1 April 2000 | 30 years, 35 days | |
42 | Maumoon Abdul Gayoom | Maldives | President | 11 November 1978 | 11 November 2008 | 30 years, 0 days | |
43 | Omar al-Bashir | Sudan |
President of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation President |
30 June 1989 | 11 April 2019 | 29 years, 285 days | |
44 | Hafez al-Assad | Syria |
Prime Minister President |
21 November 1970 | 10 June 2000 | 29 years, 202 days | |
45 | Hosni Mubarak | Egypt |
Prime Minister President |
7 October 1981 | 11 February 2011 | 29 years, 127 days | |
46 | Alexander Lukashenko | Belarus | President [Note 8] | 20 July 1994 | present | 29 years, 278 days | |
47 | Haxhi Lleshi |
People's Republic of Albania People's Socialist Republic of Albania |
Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly | 1 August 1953 | 21 November 1982 | 29 years, 112 days | |
48 | İsmet İnönü | Turkey |
Prime Minister President |
1 November 1923 (1st time) |
22 November 1924 (1st time) |
28 years, 180 days | |
49 | Mathieu Kérékou |
Dahomey People's Republic of Benin Benin |
President |
26 October 1972 (1st time) |
4 April 1991 (1st time) |
28 years, 162 days | |
50 | France-Albert René | Seychelles |
Prime Minister President |
29 June 1976 | 14 July 2004 | 28 years, 15 days | |
51 | Ne Win | Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma |
Prime Minister Chairman of the Union Revolutionary Council Party Chairman President |
29 October 1958 (1st time) |
4 April 1960 (1st time) |
27 years, 301 days | |
52 | William Tubman | Liberia | President | 3 January 1944 | 23 July 1971 | 27 years, 201 days | |
53 | Kamisese Mara | Fiji |
Prime Minister President |
10 October 1970 (1st time) |
13 April 1987 (1st time) |
27 years, 165 days | |
54 | Sir Colville Young | Belize | Governor-General | 17 November 1993 | 30 April 2021 | 27 years, 164 days | |
55 | Mehmet Shehu |
People's Republic of Albania People's Socialist Republic of Albania |
Prime Minister | 20 July 1954 | 18 December 1981 | 27 years, 151 days | |
56 | Nursultan Nazarbayev | Kazakhstan | President [Note 9] | 16 December 1991 | 20 March 2019 | 27 years, 94 days | |
57 | Sir Anerood Jugnauth | Mauritius |
Prime Minister President |
16 June 1982 (1st time) |
22 December 1995 (1st time) |
27 years, 50 days | |
58 | Paul Eyschen | Luxembourg | Prime Minister | 22 September 1888 | 11 October 1915 | 27 years, 19 days | |
59 | Blaise Compaoré | Burkina Faso |
President of the Popular Front and
Head of State President |
15 October 1987 | 31 October 2014 | 27 years, 16 days | |
60 | Kenneth Kaunda | Zambia | President | 24 October 1964 | 2 November 1991 | 27 years, 9 days | |
61 | Mikhail Kalinin |
Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic Soviet Union |
Chairman of the Central Executive Committee (RSFSR) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Soviets (All-Union) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet |
30 March 1919 | 19 March 1946 | 26 years, 354 days (3 years, 275 days as head of state of the partially-recognized RSFSR) | |
62 | Mao Zedong | People's Republic of China |
Chairman of the Communist Party Chairman of the Central Military Commission Paramount Leader |
1 October 1949 | 9 September 1976 | 26 years, 344 days | |
63 | Zhou Enlai | People's Republic of China | Premier | 1 October 1949 | 8 January 1976 | 26 years, 99 days | |
64 | Pedro Pires |
Cape Verde Cabo Verde |
Prime Minister President |
8 July 1975 (1st time) |
4 April 1991 (1st time) |
26 years, 76 days | |
65 | Daniel Ortega | Nicaragua |
Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction
[Note 10] President |
4 March 1981 (1st time) |
25 April 1990 (1st time) |
26 years, 156 days | |
66 | Lê Duẩn |
North Vietnam Vietnam |
First Secretary General Secretary |
10 September 1960 | 10 July 1986 | 25 years, 303 days (10 years, 8 days after unification) | |
67 | Ahmed Sékou Touré | Guinea | President | 2 October 1958 | 26 March 1984 | 25 years, 176 days | |
68 | Willi Stoph | German Democratic Republic |
Prime Minister Chairman of the State Council |
21 September 1964 | 13 November 1989 | 25 years, 53 days | |
69 | Islam Karimov | Uzbekistan | President [Note 11] | 1 September 1991 | 2 September 2016 | 25 years, 1 day | |
70 | Carl von In der Maur | Liechtenstein | Governor |
23 September 1884 (1st time) |
5 September 1892 (1st time) |
24 years, 324 days | |
71 | Óscar Carmona |
Ditadura Nacional Second Portuguese Republic |
Prime Minister President |
9 July 1926 | 18 April 1951 | 24 years, 283 days | |
72 | Nicolae Ceaușescu | Socialist Republic of Romania |
General Secretary Conducător Head of State (President) President of the State Council |
22 March 1965 | 22 December 1989 | 24 years, 275 days | |
73 | Lansana Conté | Guinea |
Chairman of the Military Committee of National Restoration President |
5 April 1984 | 22 December 2008 | 24 years, 261 days | |
74 | Miklós Horthy | Kingdom of Hungary | Regent | 1 March 1920 | 15 October 1944 | 24 years, 228 days | |
75 | Ismaïl Omar Guelleh | Djibouti | President | 8 May 1999 | present | 24 years, 351 days | |
76 | Daniel arap Moi | Kenya |
Acting President President |
22 August 1978 | 30 December 2002 | 24 years, 130 days | |
77 | Vladimir Putin | Russia |
Prime Minister President [Note 12] |
9 August 1999 | present | 24 years, 258 days | |
78 | Mahathir Mohamad | Malaysia | Prime Minister |
16 July 1981 (1st time) |
31 October 2003 (1st time) |
24 years, 38 days | |
79 | João Bernardo Vieira | Guinea-Bissau |
Prime Minister President |
22 September 1978 (1st time) |
14 May 1984 (1st time) |
24 years, 13 days | |
80 | Ho Chi Minh | North Vietnam |
Prime Minister President Chairman of the Workers' Party First Secretary |
2 September 1945 | 2 September 1969 | 24 years, 0 days | |
81 | Józef Cyrankiewicz | Polish People's Republic |
Prime Minister Chairman of the Council of State |
6 February 1947 (1st time) |
20 November 1952 (1st time) |
23 years, 298 days | |
82 | Saddam Hussein | Iraq |
Prime Minister President |
16 July 1979 | 9 April 2003 | 23 years, 267 days | |
83 | Paul Kagame | Rwanda | President [Note 13] | 22 April 2000 | present | 24 years, 1 day | |
84 | Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya | Mauritania |
Prime Minister Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation President |
25 April 1981 (1st time) |
8 March 1984 (1st time) |
23 years, 187 days | |
85 | Hage Geingob | Namibia |
Prime Minister President [Note 14] |
21 March 1990 (1st time) |
28 August 2002 (1st time) |
23 years, 301 days | |
86 | Bashar al-Assad | Syria | President | 17 July 2000 | present | 23 years, 281 days | |
87 | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali | Tunisia |
Prime Minister President |
2 October 1987 | 14 January 2011 | 23 years, 104 days | |
88 | Julius Nyerere |
Tanganyika Tanzania |
Prime Minister President |
9 December 1961 (1st time) |
22 January 1962 (1st time) |
23 years, 10 days | |
89 | Walter Ulbricht | German Democratic Republic |
First Secretary Chairman of the State Council |
25 July 1950 | 1 August 1973 | 23 years, 7 days | |
90 | Didier Ratsiraka |
Malagasy Republic Democratic Republic of Madagascar Madagascar |
President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council President |
15 June 1975 (1st time) |
27 March 1993 (1st time) |
23 years, 6 days | |
91 | Tage Erlander | Sweden | Prime Minister | 11 October 1946 | 14 October 1969 | 23 years, 3 days | |
92 (tie) | Ahmadou Ahidjo |
Cameroun Cameroon |
Prime Minister President |
1 January 1960 | 6 November 1982 | 22 years, 309 days | |
Konstantinos Karamanlis |
Kingdom of Greece Greece |
Prime Minister President |
6 October 1955 (1st time) |
5 March 1958 (1st time) |
22 years, 309 days | ||
94 | Joaquín Balaguer | Dominican Republic |
President President of the Council of State junta [Note 15] |
30 May 1961 (1st time) |
16 January 1962 (1st time) |
22 years, 277 days | |
95 | Ralph Gonsalves | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Prime Minister | 29 March 2001 | present | 23 years, 25 days | |
96 | Yahya Jammeh | The Gambia |
Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council President |
22 July 1994 | 21 January 2017 | 22 years, 183 days | |
97 | Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi | Samoa | Prime Minister | 23 November 1998 | 24 May 2021 [Note 16] | 22 years, 182 days | |
98 | Keith Mitchell | Grenada | Prime Minister |
22 June 1995 (1st time) |
9 July 2008 (1st time) |
22 years, 141 days | |
99 | Barkat Gourad Hamadou | Djibouti | Prime Minister | 2 October 1978 | 7 March 2001 | 22 years, 156 days | |
100 | Nicola Canali | Vatican | President of the Governatorate | 20 March 1939 | 3 August 1961 | 22 years, 136 days | |
101 | Moussa Traoré | Mali |
Chairman of the Military Committee for National Liberation Head of State President |
19 November 1968 | 26 March 1991 | 22 years, 127 days | |
102 | Benito Mussolini |
Italy Italian Social Republic |
Prime Minister Duce |
31 October 1922 (1st time) |
25 July 1943 (1st time) |
22 years, 116 days | |
103 | Leonid Brezhnev | Soviet Union |
General Secretary Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet |
7 May 1960 (1st time) |
15 July 1964 (1st time) |
22 years, 96 days | |
104 | Manuel Estrada Cabrera | Guatemala | President | 8 February 1898 | 15 April 1920 | 22 years, 67 days | |
105 | Sam Hinds | Guyana |
Prime Minister President |
9 October 1992 (1st time) |
17 March 1997 (1st time) |
21 years, 308 days | |
106 | Hassan Gouled Aptidon | Djibouti |
Prime Minister President |
27 June 1977 | 8 May 1999 | 21 years, 285 days | |
107 | Sukarno | Indonesia | President | 18 August 1945 | 12 March 1967 | 21 years, 206 days | |
108 | Artur Rasizade | Azerbaijan | Prime Minister |
20 July 1996 (1st time) |
4 August 2003 (1st time) |
21 years, 183 days | |
109 | William Lyon Mackenzie King | Canada | Prime Minister |
29 December 1921 (1st time) |
28 June 1926 (1st time) |
21 years, 154 days | |
110 | Siad Barre | Somali Democratic Republic |
President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council President |
21 October 1969 | 26 January 1991 | 21 years, 97 days | |
111 | Meles Zenawi |
Transitional Government of Ethiopia Ethiopia |
Acting President Prime Minister |
28 May 1991 | 20 August 2012 | 21 years, 84 days | |
112 | Paul Kruger | South African Republic |
Member of the Triumvirate State President |
8 August 1881 | 31 May 1902 | 20 years, 296 days | |
113 | Juvénal Habyarimana | Rwanda | President | 5 July 1973 | 6 April 1994 | 20 years, 275 days | |
114 | Gustáv Husák | Czechoslovakia |
First Secretary President |
17 April 1969 | 10 December 1989 | 20 years, 237 days | |
115 | Manuel Pinto da Costa | São Tomé and Príncipe | President |
12 July 1975 (1st time) |
4 March 1991 (1st time) |
20 years, 235 days | |
116 | Kim Yong-nam | North Korea | Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly [Note 2] | 5 September 1998 | 11 April 2019 | 20 years, 218 days | |
117 | Leabua Jonathan | Lesotho | Prime Minister | 7 July 1965 | 20 January 1986 | 20 years, 197 days | |
118 | Léopold Sédar Senghor | Senegal | President | 6 September 1960 | 31 December 1980 | 20 years, 116 days | |
119 | Pierre Werner | Luxembourg | Prime Minister |
2 March 1959 (1st time) |
15 June 1974 (1st time) |
20 years, 109 days | |
120 | Dame Pearlette Louisy | Saint Lucia | Governor-General | 19 September 1997 | 31 December 2017 | 20 years, 103 days | |
121 | Pál Losonczi | Hungarian People's Republic | Chairman of the Presidential Council | 14 April 1967 | 25 June 1987 | 20 years, 72 days | |
122 | Ferdinand Marcos | Philippines | President | 30 December 1965 | 25 February 1986 | 20 years, 57 days | |
123 | Hammer DeRoburt | Nauru | President |
31 January 1968 (1st time) |
22 December 1976 (1st time) |
20 years, 31 days | |
124 | Eddie Fenech Adami | Malta |
Prime Minister President |
12 May 1987 (1st time) |
28 October 1996 (1st time) |
20 years, 3 days | |
125 | Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson | Iceland | President | 1 August 1996 | 1 August 2016 | 20 years, 0 days |