List of longest-ruling non-royal national leaders since 1870

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This list details national leaders since 1870 who ruled for 30 years or more, and were not self-described royalty. It also combines all national leader level offices held concurrently or consecutively by each individual.

Rank Name Country Title Term began Term ended Term length
1. Fidel Castro  Cuba First Secretary
Prime Minister
President		 01959-02-1616 February 1959 [1] 02011-04-1919 April 2011 [1] 700152000000000000052 years, 700162000000000000062 days
2. Chiang Kai-shek  Republic of China
(1912–1949)
 Republic of China on Taiwan
(1949–present)		 Chairman of the National Government
Premier/Director-General
Generalissimo
President

01926-07-099 July 1926 (1st time)
01932-03-066 March 1932 (2nd time)
01950-03-011 March 1950 (3rd time)

01931-12-1515 December 1931 (1st time)
01949-01-2121 January 1949 (2nd time)
01975-04-055 April 1975 (3rd time)

 46 years, 82 days[N 1]
3. Kim Il-sung[N 2]  North Korea General Secretary
Premier
President
Generalissimo		 01948-09-099 September 1948 01994-07-088 July 1994 700145000000000000045 years, 7002302000000000000302 days
4. Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal Mongolia General Secretary
Prime Minister
President		 01940-04-088 April 1940 01984-08-2323 August 1984 44 years 129 days
5. Muammar Gaddafi Libyan Arab Republic
 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya		 Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
Leader and Guide of the Revolution		 01969-09-011 September 1969 02011-10-2020 October 2011[N 3] 700142000000000000042 years, 700149000000000000049 days
6. Omar Bongo  Gabon President 01967-12-022 December 1967 02009-05-066 May 2009 700141000000000000041 years, 7002155000000000000155 days
7. Enver Hoxha Albania Prime Minister
First Secretary		 01944-10-2222 October 1944 01985-04-1111 April 1985 700140000000000000040 years, 7002171000000000000171 days
8. Francisco Franco Spain Generalísimo
Head of State		 01936-10-011 October 1936 01975-11-2020 November 1975 700139000000000000039 years, 700150000000000000050 days
9. Paul Biya  Cameroon Prime Minister
President		 01975-06-3030 June 1975 present 700137000000000000037 years, 7002322000000000000322 days
10. Gnassingbé Eyadéma Togo President 01967-04-1414 April 1967 02005-02-055 February 2005 700137000000000000037 years, 7002297000000000000297 days
11. Mohamed Abdelaziz  Sahrawi Republic General Secretary
President		 01976-08-3030 August 1976 present 700136000000000000036 years, 7002261000000000000261 days
12. Josip Broz Tito  Yugoslavia Prime Minister
President
Marshal		 01943-11-2929 November 1943 01980-05-044 May 1980 700136000000000000036 years, 7002157000000000000157 days
13. António de Oliveira Salazar Portugal Prime Minister 01932-07-055 July 1932 01968-09-2525 September 1968 700136000000000000036 years, 700182000000000000082 days
14. Todor Zhivkov Bulgaria General Secretary
Prime Minister		 01954-03-044 March 1954 01989-11-1717 November 1989 700135000000000000035 years, 7002258000000000000258 days
15. Alfredo Stroessner Paraguay President 01954-08-1515 August 1954 01989-02-033 February 1989 700134000000000000034 years, 7002172000000000000172 days
16. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President 01979-08-033 August 1979 present 700133000000000000033 years, 7002288000000000000288 days
17. José Eduardo dos Santos People's Republic of Angola
 Angola		 President 01979-09-1010 September 1979 present 700133000000000000033 years, 7002250000000000000250 days
18. Ali Abdullah Saleh  North Yemen
 Yemen		 President 01978-07-1818 July 1978 02012-02-2525 February 2012 700133000000000000033 years, 7002222000000000000222 days
19. Mao Zedong Shaan-Gan-Ning, Republic of China
 People's Republic of China		 Party Chairman
State Chairman
Paramount Leader		 01943-03-2020 March 1943 01976-09-099 September 1976 700133000000000000033 years, 7002173000000000000173 days
20. Félix Houphouët-Boigny Côte d'Ivoire Prime Minister
President		 01960-08-077 August 1960 01993-12-077 December 1993 700133000000000000033 years, 7002122000000000000122 days
21. Robert Mugabe  Zimbabwe Prime Minister
President		 01980-04-1818 April 1980 present 700133000000000000033 years, 700130000000000000030 days
22. Dawda Kairaba Jawara Gambia Prime Minister
President		 01962-06-1212 June 1962 01994-07-2222 July 1994 700132000000000000032 years, 700140000000000000040 days
23. Pham Van Dong  North Vietnam
 Vietnam		 Prime Minister 01955-09-2020 September 1955 01987-06-1818 June 1987 700131000000000000031 years, 7002271000000000000271 days
24. Sayyid Ali Khamenei  Iran President
Supreme Leader		 01981-10-1313 October 1981 present 700131000000000000031 years, 7002217000000000000217 days
25. János Kádár Hungary General Secretary 01956-10-2525 October 1956 01988-05-2727 May 1988 700131000000000000031 years, 7002215000000000000215 days
26. Habib Bourguiba Tunisia Prime Minister
President		 01956-04-1111 April 1956 01987-11-077 November 1987 700131000000000000031 years, 7002210000000000000210 days
27. Lee Kuan Yew  Singapore Prime Minister 01959-06-055 June 1959 01990-11-2828 November 1990 700131000000000000031 years, 7002176000000000000176 days[N 4]
28. Mobutu Sese Seko Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Zaire		 President 01965-11-2424 November 1965 01997-05-1616 May 1997 700131000000000000031 years, 7002173000000000000173 days
29. Hastings Kamuzu Banda  Malawi Prime Minister
President		 01963-02-011 February 1963 01994-05-2121 May 1994 700131000000000000031 years, 7002109000000000000109 days
30. Suharto Indonesia President 01967-03-1212 March 1967 01998-05-2121 May 1998 700131000000000000031 years, 700170000000000000070 days
31. Joseph Stalin  Soviet Union General Secretary
Premier
Generalissimo		 01922-04-033 April 1922 01953-03-055 March 1953 700130000000000000030 years, 7002336000000000000336 days
32. Rafael Trujillo Dominican Republic President
Generalísimo		 01930-08-1616 August 1930 01961-05-3030 May 1961 700130000000000000030 years, 7002287000000000000287 days
33. Porfirio Díaz  Mexico President

01876-11-2828 November 1876 (1st time)
01877-02-1717 February 1877 (2nd time)
01884-12-011 December 1884 (3rd time)

01876-12-066 December 1876 (1st time)
01880-12-011 December 1880 (2nd time)
01911-05-2525 May 1911 (3rd time)

 30 years, 106 days
34. Abdou Diouf  Senegal Prime Minister
President		 01970-02-2626 February 1970 02000-04-011 April 2000 700130000000000000030 years, 700135000000000000035 days
35. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom  Maldives President 01978-11-1111 November 1978 02008-11-1111 November 2008 700130000000000000030 years, 50000000000000000000 days

See also

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Notes

  1. ^ For the first time Chiang Kai-shek stepped down in December 1931, his power was then shared by Hu Hanmin, Wang Jingwei, and Lin Sen among others. For the second time he left his state position in January 1949, Chiang was succeed by then Vice President Li Zongren.
  2. ^ The late Kim Il-sung has been designated "Eternal President of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" and the post of President has not been filled since his death on July 8, 1994.
  3. ^ 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.[citation needed]
  4. ^ After leaving office as Prime Minister, Lee was given the emeritus positions of Senior Minister (1990–2004) and Minister Mentor (2004–2011). The latter title, unique in world politics, maintained Lee's status as a "power behind the throne" in Singaporean politics.
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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. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
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External links

  • Rulers.org List of rulers throughout time and places
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Last modified on 16 May 2013, at 07:22