List of longest ruling non-royal national leaders since 1900

This list details national leaders since 1900 who ruled for 30 consecutive years or more, and were not self-described royalty. It also combines all national leader level offices held concurrently or consecutively by each individual.

Leaders in shaded cells are still ruling.

Rank Name Country Title Term began Term ended Term length
1. Fidel Castro  Cuba First Secretary
President
Prime Minister		 01959-01-088 January 1959 [1] 02011-04-1111 April 2011 [1] &1000000000000005200000052 years, &1000000000000009300000093 days
2. Chiang Kai-shek China, Republic of Director-General
President
Premier		 01928-10-1010 October 1928 01975-04-055 April 1975 &1000000000000004600000046 years, &10000000000000177000000177 days
3. Kim Il-sung  North Korea General Secretary
President
Premier		 01948-09-099 September 1948 01994-07-088 July 1994 &1000000000000004500000045 years, &10000000000000302000000302 days
4. Muammar Gaddafi Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Leader and Guide of the Revolution 01969-09-011 September 1969 02011-10-2020 October 2011[N 1] &1000000000000004200000042 years, &1000000000000004900000049 days
5. Omar Bongo  Gabon President 01967-12-022 December 1967 02009-05-066 May 2009 &1000000000000004100000041 years, &10000000000000155000000155 days
6. Enver Hoxha Albania First Secretary
Prime Minister		 01944-10-2222 October 1944 01985-04-1111 April 1985 &1000000000000004000000040 years, &10000000000000171000000171 days
7. Francisco Franco Spain Generalísimo
Head of State		 01936-10-011 October 1936 01975-11-2020 November 1975 &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005000000050 days
8. Gnassingbé Eyadéma  Togo President 01967-04-1414 April 1967 02005-02-055 February 2005 &1000000000000003700000037 years, &10000000000000297000000297 days
9. Paul Biya  Cameroon Prime Minister
President		 01975-06-3030 June 1975 present &1000000000000003600000036 years, &10000000000000254000000254 days
10. Josip Broz Tito  Yugoslavia Prime Minister
President		 01943-11-2929 November 1943 01980-05-044 May 1980 &1000000000000003600000036 years, &10000000000000157000000157 days
11. António de Oliveira Salazar Portugal Prime Minister 01932-07-055 July 1932 01968-09-2525 September 1968 &1000000000000003600000036 years, &1000000000000008200000082 days
12. Todor Zhivkov Bulgaria General Secretary 01954-03-044 March 1954 01989-11-1717 November 1989 &1000000000000003500000035 years, &10000000000000258000000258 days
13. Mohamed Abdelaziz  Sahrawi Republic President 01976-08-3030 August 1976 present &1000000000000003500000035 years, &10000000000000193000000193 days
14. Alfredo Stroessner  Paraguay President 01954-08-1515 August 1954 01989-02-033 February 1989 &1000000000000003400000034 years, &10000000000000172000000172 days
15. Mao Zedong Shaan-Gan-Ning
China, Republic of
China, People's Republic of		 Chairman 01943-03-2020 March 1943 01976-09-099 September 1976 &1000000000000003300000033 years, &10000000000000173000000173 days
16. Ali Abdullah Saleh  North Yemen
 Yemen		 President 01978-07-1818 July 1978 present &1000000000000003300000033 years, &10000000000000236000000236 days
17. Félix Houphouët-Boigny  Ivory Coast Prime Minister
President		 01960-08-077 August 1960 01993-12-077 December 1993 &1000000000000003300000033 years, &10000000000000122000000122 days
18. Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal Mongolia Prime Minister
President		 01952-01-2626 January 1952 01984-08-2323 August 1984 &1000000000000003200000032 years, &10000000000000210000000210 days
19. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President 01979-08-033 August 1979 present &1000000000000003200000032 years, &10000000000000220000000220 days
20. José Eduardo dos Santos  Angola President 01979-09-1010 September 1979 present &1000000000000003200000032 years, &10000000000000182000000182 days
21. Dawda Jawara  Gambia Prime Minister
President		 01962-06-1212 June 1962 01994-07-2222 July 1994 &1000000000000003200000032 years, &1000000000000004000000040 days
22. Pham Van Dong  North Vietnam
 Vietnam		 Prime Minister 01955-09-2020 September 1955 01987-06-1818 June 1987 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000271000000271 days
23. Robert Mugabe  Zimbabwe Prime Minister
President		 01980-04-1818 April 1980 present &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000327000000327 days
24. János Kádár Hungary General Secretary 01956-10-2525 October 1956 01988-05-2727 May 1988 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000215000000215 days
25. Habib Bourguiba  Tunisia Prime Minister
President		 01956-04-1111 April 1956 01987-11-077 November 1987 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000210000000210 days
26. Lee Kuan Yew  Singapore Prime Minister 01959-06-055 June 1959 01990-11-2828 November 1990 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000176000000176 days
27. Mobutu Sese Seko  Zaire President 01965-11-2424 November 1965 01997-05-1616 May 1997 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000173000000173 days
28. Hastings Banda  Malawi Prime Minister
President		 01963-02-011 February 1963 01994-05-2121 May 1994 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000109000000109 days
29. Suharto  Indonesia President 01967-03-1212 March 1967 01998-05-2121 May 1998 &1000000000000003100000031 years, &1000000000000007000000070 days
30. Joseph Stalin  Soviet Union General Secretary
Premier
Generalissimo		 01922-04-033 April 1922 01953-03-055 March 1953 &1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000336000000336 days
31. Rafael Trujillo  Dominican Republic Generalísimo
President		 01930-08-1616 August 1930 01961-05-3030 May 1961 &1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000287000000287 days
32. Ali Khamenei  Iran President
Supreme Leader		 01981-10-1313 October 1981 present &1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000149000000149 days
33. Abdou Diouf  Senegal Prime Minister
President		 01970-02-2626 February 1970 02000-04-011 April 2000 &1000000000000003000000030 years, &1000000000000003500000035 days
34. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom  Maldives President 01978-11-1111 November 1978 02008-11-1111 November 2008 &1000000000000003000000030 years, &100000000000000000000000 days

Notes

  1. ^ The date given reflects the date of death of Muammar Gaddafi at the hands of National Transitional Council forces. Gaddafi had lost de facto control of the majority of Libya some time beforehand; however, he had not formally relinquished his position as Leader and Guide of the Revolution before his death and the state (The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) still remained in existence. Between March 1979 and October 20, 2011, the position of 'Secretary-General of the General People's Congress' referred to the nominal head of state of Libya, and was not held by Gaddafi who retained an informal position (in de facto control over the country) as per his Jamahiriya philosophy.

References

  1. ^ a b Depalma, Anthony (Updated: Aug. 3, 2011). "Fidel Castro News". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/fidel_castro/index.html?scp=1&sq=Fidel%20Castro%20resign&st=cse. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 

See also

External links