List of state leaders in 1572

Africa

Bornu Empire - Idris Alooma (1571–1603)
Empire of Ethiopia - Sarsa Dengel (1563–1597)
Kingdom of Kongo - Álvaro I, Manikongo (1568–1587)
Kingdom of Sennar - Dakin (1568–1585/6)
Songhai Empire - Askia Daoud, Askia of the Songhai Empire (1549–1582)

China (Ming Dynasty) - Longqing Emperor (1567–1572)
Japan (Sengoku period)
- Monarch - Emperor Ōgimachi (1557–1586)
- Shogun (Ashikaga) - Ashikaga Yoshiaki (1568–1573)
- de facto - Oda Nobunaga (1536–1598)
Korea (Joseon Dynasty) - Seonjo (1567–1608)
Mughal Empire - Akbar (1556–1605)
Ryūkyū Kingdom - Shō Gen (1556–1572)
Philippines (Las islas Filipinas)

Kingdom of Denmark and Norway - Frederick II (1559–1588)
Kingdom of England - Elizabeth I (1558–1603)
Kingdom of France - Charles IX (1560–1574)
Holland and Zeeland -
- William the Silent, Prince of Orange, Leader of the resistance (1568–1584)
- Grand Pensionary of Holland - Paulus Buys (1572–1585)
Holy Roman Empire - Maximilian II (1564–1576)
- Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen - Henry III (1567–1585)
Royal Hungary - Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor as Maximilian I (1564–1576)
Moldavia -
1. Bogdan, Voivode of Moldavia (1568–1572)
2. Ioan Voda cel Viteaz, Voivode of Moldavia (1572–1574)
Kingdom of Navarre -
1. Jeanne d'Albret (1555–1572)
2. Henry III (1572–1610)
Ottoman (Turkish) Empire - Selim II (1566–1574)
Papal States -
1. Pope Pius V (1566–1572)
2. Pope Gregory XIII (1572–1585)
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth -
1. Sigismund II Augustus (1548–1572)
2. Henry III Valois (1572–1573)
Kingdom of Portugal - Sebastian I (1557–1578)
Grand Duchy of Moscow - Ivan IV the Terrible, Grand Prince of Moscow (1533–1547) then Tsar of Russia (1547–1584)
Kingdom of Scotland - James VI (1567–1625)
Kingdom of Spain - Philip II (1556–1598)
Kingdom of Sweden - John III (1568–1592)
Republic of Venice - Alvise Mocenigo, Doge of Venice (1570–1577)
Wallachia - Alexandru II Mircea, Voivode of Wallachia (1568–1574)