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Protocol holds that a head of state takes precedence over all other officials, and that heads of state rank in the order that they took office. The following list contains the heads of state for all United Nations member states and non-member observer states.
Commonwealth realms, other than the United Kingdom, each have a local governor-general appointed to represent the monarch in the realm's government. Governors-general are frequently accorded the status and privileges of a head of state at diplomatic events when considered as representing their absentee monarch, but not as themselves heads of state. The princes of Andorra each have a representative as well. Hereditary Prince Alois is permanent representative for exercising the sovereign powers due to Liechtenstein Prince Hans-Adam II.[1] They are included in the list and are highlighted in blue.
However, in many cases it is not this neutral principle but national rules of protocol that are acted upon, usually by an international event's host nation, as in many bilateral and even certain multilateral occasions. Various international organisations have a system for internal use. Even in the presence of one or more Heads of State, certain occasions are governed by specific protocol, e.g. military. Thus in many cases precedence is given to monarchs over republican heads of state, mostly in monarchies; in some nations, the Pope (himself a monarchical head of state) ranks above secular heads of state, especially in Roman Catholic countries.
Current
Current
| Title | Name | Assumed office | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Brahim Ghali | 12 July 2016 |  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |
| President | Vadim Krasnoselsky | 16 December 2016 |  Transnistria |
| President | Muse Bihi Abdi | 13 December 2017 |  Somaliland |
| President | Aslan Bzhania | 23 April 2020 |  Abkhazia |
| President | Ersin Tatar | 23 October 2020 |  Northern Cyprus |
| President | Vjosa Osmani | 4 April 2021 |  Kosovo |
| President | Alan Gagloyev | 24 May 2022 |  South Ossetia |
| President | Lai Ching-te | 20 May 2024 |  Republic of China (Taiwan) |
The following heads of state represent governments that are recognized as legitimate by at least one UN member state.
Current
| Title | Name | Assumed office | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman of the Supreme Political Council | Mahdi al-Mashat | 25 April 2018 |  Yemen |
| President of the Coordination Council | Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya | 14 August 2020 |  Belarus |
| President of the Syrian National Coalition | Hadi al-Bahra | 12 September 2023 |  Syria |
| President of the National Assembly | Dinorah Figuera | 5 January 2023 |  Venezuela |
- Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is the nephew of the previous president, Francisco Macías Nguema.
- The country was the Kingdom of Swaziland before 2018.
- Ali Khamenei was previously President of Iran from 2 October 1981 – 4 June 1989.
- In Iran, the Supreme Leader is the head of state and the President is the head of government.
- Hans-Adam II was previously Regent from 26 August 1984 – 13 November 1989.
- Hereditary Prince Alois has been Regent for Hans-Adam II since 15 August 2004.
- Harald V was previously Prince-Regent from 1 June 1990 – 17 January 1991.
- Haakon was Prince-Regent from 25 November 2003 – 13 April 2004 and 29 March 2005 – 7 June 2005.
- Denis Sassou Nguesso was previously President of the People's Republic of the Congo (as the country was named then) between 8 February 1979 – 31 August 1992.
- The country was the State of Bahrain before 2002.
- Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is the nephew of the previous president, Hassan Gouled Aptidon.
- Bashar al-Assad is the son of the previous president, Hafez al-Assad.
- Henri was previously Regent from 3 March 1998 – 7 October 2000.
- Ilham Aliyev is the son of the previous president, Heydar Aliyev.
- Albert II was previously Regent from 31 March 2005 – 6 April 2005.
- Faure Gnassingbé is the son of the previous president, Gnassingbé Eyadéma.
- It is the Holy See and not the Vatican City state that maintains diplomatic relations with states and participates in international organisations. The Holy See and the Vatican City state are two separate and distinct entities. Foreign embassies are accredited to the Holy See, not to the Vatican City state, and it is the Holy See that establishes treaties and concordats with other sovereign entities. Also it is the Holy See that has United Nations Observer status not the Vatican City state.
- Chinese President is a ceremonial figurehead, while General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party holds the highest authority of Paramount leader. The presidency has been held simultaneously by the General Secretary since 1993.
- Prem Tinsulanonda was Regent of Thailand from 13 October 2016 – 1 December 2016.
- Nana Akufo-Addo is the son of a former president, Edward Akufo-Addo.
- The country was the People's Republic of Angola before 1992.
- Félix Tshisekedi is the son of former Prime Minister Étienne Tshisekedi
- Though Kim has held this office since 2016, the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly was the head of state until the 14th State Affairs Commission was formed.
- Haitham bin Tariq is the cousin of the former Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
- Zoran Milanović was Prime Minister of Croatia from 23 December 2011 – 22 January 2016.
- Umaro Sissoco Embaló was Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 18 November 2016 – 30 January 2018.
- Luis Lacalle Pou is the son of former President Luis Alberto Lacalle.
- Sadyr Japarov was Acting Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 6 October 2020 – 10 October 2020, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 10 October 2020 – 21 January 2021; and Acting President of Kyrgyzstan from 15 October 2020 – 14 November 2020. Japarov took a leave of absence from the office of Prime Minister from 14 November 2020 – 11 January 2021 to compete in the 2021 Kyrgyz presidential election; Artem Novikov acted for Japarov.
- As President of the Transitional Military Council until 10 October 2022, and thereafter as Transitional President until 10 May 2024
- Assimi Goïta was Head of State of Mali (as Chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People of Mali) 19 August 2020 – 27 August 2021 and Acting Head of State of Mali 27 August 2021 – 25 September 2020.
- Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh was Prime Minister of Mongolia 4 October 2017 – 27 January 2021.
- Isaac Herzog is the son of President Chaim Herzog.
- As Chairman of the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development until 1 October 2021
- José Maria Neves was Prime Minister of Cape Verde 1 February 2001 – 22 April 2016.
- Mohamed bin Zayed is the brother of the previous President, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- José Ramos-Horta was Acting Prime Minister of East Timor 26 June 2006 – 10 July 2006, Prime Minister of East Timor 10 July 2006 – 19 May 2007, and President of East Timor 20 May 2007 – 11 February 2008 and 17 April 2008 – 20 May 2012.
- Bongbong Marcos is the son of former President and Prime Minister Ferdinand Marcos.
- As President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration until 6 October 2022
- Andry Rajoelina was Head of State of Madagascar (as President of the High Transitional Authority) 17 March 2009 – 25 January 2014, then the elected President 19 January 2019 – 9 September 2023.
- Peter Pellegrini was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 22 March 2018 – 21 March 2020.
- Dalibor Riccardi is the son of former Captain Regent Marino Riccardi
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