The world leaders with most years in office

Paul Biya of Cameroon currently stands as the world’s longest-serving head of state with 50 consecutive years in office as of February 2026.

He leads a small group of veteran rulers who have maintained power for decades, followed closely by Teodoro Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, who has governed for 46 years.

In the Middle East, Ali Khamenei of Iran recorded 44 years of leadership until his assassination on February 28, 2026.

The landscape of long-term governance is heavily concentrated in Africa and Eurasia. Yoweri Museveni has led Uganda for 40 years, while Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea and Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan have held their positions for 34 and 33 years, respectively.

Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus follows with 31 years of consecutive rule. In the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso has served 28 consecutive years, though his total time in power is longer when including a previous non-consecutive term from 1979 to 1992.

Rounding out the top ten are Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and Vladimir Putin of Russia, both of whom have reached the 26-year mark.