PlanetRulers tracks the current head of state for every country in the world. Use the search bar or browse by region — each country profile includes the leader's full name, title, party, and the date they took office. The database is updated within hours of any confirmed leadership change.

As of 2025, there are 67 dictatorships in the world. PlanetRulers defines a dictator as the ruler of a country rated "Not Free" by Freedom House in its annual Freedom in the World report. These authoritarian leaders are tracked in our Current Dictators section, filterable by region.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea has been in power since August 1979 — over 45 years — making him the world's longest-serving non-royal head of state. Other long-serving leaders include Paul Biya of Cameroon (since 1982) and Ali Khamenei of Iran (since 1989). Full profiles with tenure dates are available on PlanetRulers.

PlanetRulers is updated continuously. Our editorial team monitors elections, coups, resignations, and appointments across all 195 UN-recognised states 24 hours a day. New leadership changes are typically published within hours of official confirmation, with full biographical context and source citations.

PlanetRulers covers all 195 UN-recognised sovereign states, plus major territories, autonomous regions, and disputed areas — over 200 entries in total. Every entry includes the current leader, their role, political party, and time in office.

A president is typically the head of state in a republic — in presidential systems (such as the USA or France) they also hold executive power. A prime minister is the head of government in parliamentary systems (such as the UK or Canada), where a separate head of state (a monarch or president) plays a more ceremonial role. Some countries have both, with power split between the two roles.

As of 2025, approximately 25 countries have a female head of state or head of government — a record high, though still representing fewer than 15% of world leaders. PlanetRulers maintains a dedicated Female Leaders section listing every current female head of state and prime minister with full profiles.