<P> This list of current longest ruling non-royal national leaders is a list of the current living longest ruling heads of nation - states or national governments, who are not royalty, and have served ten years or longer, sorted by length of tenure . </P> <P> The individuals on the list are not always the most powerful figure in their country's national government . Some are or have been at one time the most powerful figure in their country's national government but not necessarily continuously throughout the listed timespan . Some of them have held more than one national leadership level office: presidency, prime minister - ship, or some other title implying or widely believed to confer national leadership . When more than one such office exists in a country, there may be uncertainty as to which member of the national government actually has the ultimate power . Therefore, this list combines all national level offices held concurrently or consecutively by each individual leader . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Office </Th> <Th> Tenure began </Th> <Th> Length of tenure </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Paul Biya </Td> <Td> Cameroon </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 30 June 1975 </Td> <Td> 7004154640000000000 ♠ 42 years, 123 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo </Td> <Td> Equatorial Guinea </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 3 August 1979 </Td> <Td> 7004139690000000000 ♠ 38 years, 89 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Robert Mugabe </Td> <Td> Zimbabwe </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 18 April 1980 </Td> <Td> 7004137100000000000 ♠ 37 years, 196 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 4 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ali Khamenei </Td> <Td> Iran </Td> <Td> President, then Supreme Leader </Td> <Td> 13 October 1981 </Td> <Td> 7004131670000000000 ♠ 36 years, 18 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Nursultan Nazarbayev </Td> <Td> Kazakhstan </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then First Secretary, then President </Td> <Td> 22 March 1984 </Td> <Td> 7004122760000000000 ♠ 33 years, 223 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Denis Sassou Nguesso </Td> <Td> Republic of the Congo </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 8 February 1979--31 August 1992 (1st time) 25 October 1997--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7004122640000000000 ♠ 33 years, 211 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hun Sen </Td> <Td> Cambodia </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 14 January 1985 </Td> <Td> 7004119780000000000 ♠ 32 years, 290 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Yoweri Museveni </Td> <Td> Uganda </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 26 January 1986 </Td> <Td> 7004116010000000000 ♠ 31 years, 278 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Omar al - Bashir </Td> <Td> Sudan </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 30 June 1989 </Td> <Td> 7004103500000000000 ♠ 28 years, 123 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Idriss Déby </Td> <Td> Chad </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 2 December 1990 </Td> <Td> 7003983000000000000 ♠ 26 years, 333 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Isaias Afwerki </Td> <Td> Eritrea </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 27 April 1991 </Td> <Td> 7003968400000000000 ♠ 26 years, 187 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Emomali Rahmon </Td> <Td> Tajikistan </Td> <Td> Acting Head of State, then President </Td> <Td> 19 November 1992 </Td> <Td> 7003911200000000000 ♠ 24 years, 346 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Paul Kagame </Td> <Td> Rwanda </Td> <Td> Vice-President, then President </Td> <Td> 19 July 1994 </Td> <Td> 7003850500000000000 ♠ 23 years, 104 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Alexander Lukashenko </Td> <Td> Belarus </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 20 July 1994 </Td> <Td> 7003850400000000000 ♠ 23 years, 103 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Artur Rasizade </Td> <Td> Azerbaijan </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 20 July 1996--4 August 2003 (1st time) 6 August 2003--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003777100000000000 ♠ 21 years, 101 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Daniel Ortega </Td> <Td> Nicaragua </Td> <Td> Acting Head of State, then President </Td> <Td> 4 March 1981--25 April 1990 (1st time) 10 January 2007--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003728600000000000 ♠ 19 years, 346 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kim Yong - nam </Td> <Td> North Korea </Td> <Td> President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly </Td> <Td> 5 September 1998 </Td> <Td> 7003699600000000000 ♠ 19 years, 56 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi </Td> <Td> Samoa </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 23 November 1998 </Td> <Td> 7003691700000000000 ♠ 18 years, 342 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Abdelaziz Bouteflika </Td> <Td> Algeria </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 27 April 1999 </Td> <Td> 7003676200000000000 ♠ 18 years, 187 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ismaïl Omar Guelleh </Td> <Td> Djibouti </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 8 May 1999 </Td> <Td> 7003675100000000000 ♠ 18 years, 176 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vladimir Putin </Td> <Td> Russia </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 9 August 1999 </Td> <Td> 7003665800000000000 ♠ 18 years, 83 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Keith Mitchell </Td> <Td> Grenada </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 22 June 1995--9 July 2008 (1st time) 20 February 2013--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003648000000000000 ♠ 17 years, 270 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hage Geingob </Td> <Td> Namibia </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 21 March 1990--28 August 2002 (1st time) 4 December 2012--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003633500000000000 ♠ 17 years, 126 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bashar al - Assad </Td> <Td> Syria </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 17 July 2000 </Td> <Td> 7003631500000000000 ♠ 17 years, 106 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Joseph Kabila </Td> <Td> Democratic Republic of the Congo </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 17 January 2001 </Td> <Td> 7003613100000000000 ♠ 16 years, 287 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ralph Gonsalves </Td> <Td> Saint Vincent and the Grenadines </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 29 March 2001 </Td> <Td> 7003606000000000000 ♠ 16 years, 216 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini </Td> <Td> Swaziland </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 26 July 1996--29 September 2003 (1st time) 23 October 2008--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003591600000000000 ♠ 16 years, 72 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Dési Bouterse </Td> <Td> Suriname </Td> <Td> De Facto Head of State, then President </Td> <Td> 25 February 1980--25 January 1988 (1st time) 12 August 2010--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003552800000000000 ♠ 15 years, 49 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Recep Tayyip Erdoğan </Td> <Td> Turkey </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 14 March 2003 </Td> <Td> 7003534500000000000 ♠ 14 years, 231 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Filip Vujanović </Td> <Td> Montenegro </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 22 May 2003 </Td> <Td> 7003527600000000000 ♠ 14 years, 162 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ilham Aliyev </Td> <Td> Azerbaijan </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 4 August 2003 </Td> <Td> 7003520200000000000 ♠ 14 years, 88 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Abdelkader Taleb Omar </Td> <Td> Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 29 October 2003 </Td> <Td> 7003511600000000000 ♠ 14 years, 2 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Shavkat Mirziyoyev </Td> <Td> Uzbekistan </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 12 December 2003 </Td> <Td> 7003507200000000000 ♠ 13 years, 323 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sheikh Hasina </Td> <Td> Bangladesh </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 23 June 1996--15 July 2001 (1st time) 6 January 2009--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003506900000000000 ♠ 13 years, 320 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Roosevelt Skerrit </Td> <Td> Dominica </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 8 January 2004 </Td> <Td> 7003504500000000000 ♠ 13 years, 296 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Mahmoud Abbas </Td> <Td> Palestine </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 19 March 2003--6 September 2003 (1st time) 15 January 2005--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003484300000000000 ♠ 13 years, 95 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 37 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lee Hsien Loong </Td> <Td> Singapore </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 12 August 2004 </Td> <Td> 7003482800000000000 ♠ 13 years, 80 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 38 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Tommy Remengesau </Td> <Td> Palau </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 1 January 2001--15 January 2009 (1st time) 17 January 2013--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003468400000000000 ♠ 12 years, 301 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 39 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Faure Gnassingbé </Td> <Td> Togo </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 5 February 2005--25 February 2005 (1st time) 4 May 2005--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003458300000000000 ♠ 12 years, 200 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 40 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Salva Kiir Mayardit </Td> <Td> South Sudan </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 30 July 2005 </Td> <Td> 7003447600000000000 ♠ 12 years, 93 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 41 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Pierre Nkurunziza </Td> <Td> Burundi </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 26 August 2005 </Td> <Td> 7003444900000000000 ♠ 12 years, 66 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 42 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Angela Merkel </Td> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> Federal Chancellor </Td> <Td> 22 November 2005 </Td> <Td> 7003436100000000000 ♠ 11 years, 343 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 43 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ellen Johnson Sirleaf </Td> <Td> Liberia </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 16 January 2006 </Td> <Td> 7003430600000000000 ♠ 11 years, 288 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 44 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Evo Morales </Td> <Td> Bolivia </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 22 January 2006 </Td> <Td> 7003430000000000000 ♠ 11 years, 282 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 45 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Benjamin Netanyahu </Td> <Td> Israel </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 18 June 1996--6 July 1999 (1st time) 31 March 2009--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003424900000000000 ♠ 11 years, 231 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 46 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Viktor Orbán </Td> <Td> Hungary </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 6 July 1998--27 May 2002 (1st time) 29 May 2010--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003413300000000000 ♠ 11 years, 115 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 47 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Raúl Castro </Td> <Td> Cuba </Td> <Td> First Secretary, President and Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 31 July 2006 </Td> <Td> 7003411000000000000 ♠ 11 years, 92 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 48 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Doris Leuthard </Td> <Td> Switzerland </Td> <Td> Federal Council Member, currently President </Td> <Td> 1 August 2006 </Td> <Td> 7003410900000000000 ♠ 11 years, 91 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 49 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Frank Bainimarama </Td> <Td> Fiji </Td> <Td> Acting Head of State, then Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 29 May 2000--13 July 2000 (1st time) 5 December 2006--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003402800000000000 ♠ 11 years, 10 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 50 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow </Td> <Td> Turkmenistan </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 21 December 2006 </Td> <Td> 7003396700000000000 ♠ 10 years, 314 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 51 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Serzh Sargsyan </Td> <Td> Armenia </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 25 March 2007 </Td> <Td> 7003387300000000000 ♠ 10 years, 220 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 52 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ahmed Ouyahia </Td> <Td> Algeria </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> 31 December 1995--15 December 1998 (1st time) 5 May 2003--24 May 2006 (2nd time) 23 June 2008--3 September 2012 (3rd time) 16 August 2017--present (4th time) </Td> <Td> 7003380400000000000 ♠ 10 years, 151 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 53 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta </Td> <Td> Mali </Td> <Td> Prime Minister, then President </Td> <Td> 4 February 1994--15 February 2000 (1st time) 4 September 2013--present (2nd time) </Td> <Td> 7003372100000000000 ♠ 10 years, 68 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 54 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bako Sahakyan </Td> <Td> Artsakh </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 7 September 2007 </Td> <Td> 7003370700000000000 ♠ 10 years, 54 days </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 55 . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ernest Bai Koroma </Td> <Td> Sierra Leone </Td> <Td> President </Td> <Td> 17 September 2007 </Td> <Td> 7003369700000000000 ♠ 10 years, 44 days </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Office </Th> <Th> Tenure began </Th> <Th> Length of tenure </Th> </Tr>

Who is the longest serving president in the world