🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Laura Fernández Delgado
President · 162 days in office
How the political system works in Costa Rica
Its president, Laura Fernández Delgado, has led the country since May 8, 2026. Costa Rica has had 37 presidents since 1825. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as a liberal democracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
4,383 days · 3 terms
Shortest-serving
Juan Bautista Quirós Segura
21 days
Average tenure
1,338 days
Laura Fernández Delgado: 88% below average
Female leaders
2 of 37
First: Laura Chinchilla (2010)
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Costa Rica?
Across 44 completed terms, the average president of Costa Rica has served 1,338 days (about 3.7 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 1,461 days.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of Costa Rica
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 |  Laura Fernández Delgado | May 8, 2026 | Incumbent | 162 |
| 44 |  Rodrigo Chaves | May 8, 2022 | May 8, 2026 | 1,461 |
| 43 |  Carlos Alvarado Quesada | May 8, 2018 | May 8, 2022 | 1,461 |
| 42 |  Luis Guillermo Solís | May 8, 2014 | May 8, 2018 | 1,461 |
| 41 |  Laura Chinchilla | May 8, 2010 | May 8, 2014 | 1,461 |
| 40 |  Óscar Arias Sánchez | May 8, 2006 | May 8, 2010 | 1,461 |
| 39 |  Abel Pacheco | May 8, 2002 | May 8, 2006 | 1,461 |
| 38 |  Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría | May 8, 1998 | May 8, 2002 | 1,461 |
| 37 |  José María Figueres Olsen | May 8, 1994 | May 8, 1998 | 1,461 |
| 36 |  Rafael Ángel Calderón | May 8, 1990 | May 8, 1994 | 1,461 |
| 35 | Óscar Arias Sánchez | May 8, 1986 | May 8, 1990 | 1,461 |
| 34 |  Luis Alberto Monge | May 8, 1982 | May 8, 1986 | 1,461 |
| 33 |  Rodrigo Carazo Odio | May 8, 1978 | May 8, 1982 | 1,461 |
| 32 |  Daniel Oduber Quirós | May 8, 1974 | May 8, 1978 | 1,461 |
| 31 |  José Figueres Ferrer | May 8, 1970 | May 8, 1974 | 1,461 |
| 30 |  José Joaquín Trejos Fernández | May 8, 1966 | May 8, 1970 | 1,461 |
| 29 |  Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich | May 8, 1962 | May 8, 1966 | 1,461 |
| 28 |  Mario Echandi Jiménez | May 8, 1958 | May 8, 1962 | 1,461 |
| 27 | José Figueres Ferrer | Nov 8, 1953 | May 8, 1958 | 1,642 |
| 26 |  Otilio Ulate Blanco | Nov 7, 1949 | May 8, 1953 | 1,278 |
| 25 | José Figueres Ferrer | May 8, 1948 | Nov 8, 1949 | 549 |
| 24 |  Teodoro Picado Michalski | May 8, 1944 | Apr 20, 1948 | 1,443 |
| 23 |  León Cortés Castro | May 8, 1936 | May 8, 1940 | 1,461 |
| 22 |  Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno | May 8, 1932 | May 8, 1936 | 1,461 |
| 21 |  Cleto González Víquez | May 8, 1928 | May 8, 1932 | 1,461 |
| 20 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno | May 8, 1924 | May 8, 1928 | 1,461 |
| 19 |  Julio Acosta García | May 8, 1920 | May 8, 1924 | 1,461 |
| 18 |  Francisco Aguilar Barquero | Sep 2, 1919 | May 8, 1920 | 249 |
| 17 |  Juan Bautista Quirós Segura | Aug 12, 1919 | Sep 2, 1919 | 21 |
| 16 |  Federico Alberto Tinoco Granados | Jan 27, 1917 | Aug 12, 1919 | 927 |
| 15 |  Alfredo González Flores | May 8, 1914 | Jan 27, 1917 | 995 |
| 14 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno | May 8, 1910 | May 8, 1914 | 1,461 |
| 13 | Cleto González Víquez | May 8, 1906 | May 8, 1910 | 1,461 |
| 12 |  Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra | May 8, 1902 | May 1, 1906 | 1,454 |
| 11 |  José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón | May 8, 1890 | May 8, 1894 | 1,461 |
| 10 |  Bernardo Soto Alfaro | Mar 12, 1885 | Nov 7, 1889 | 1,701 |
| 9 |  Próspero Fernández Oreamuno | Aug 10, 1882 | Mar 12, 1885 | 945 |
| 8 |  Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez | Jul 6, 1882 | Aug 10, 1882 | 35 |
| 7 |  Juan Rafael Mora Porras | Nov 26, 1849 | Aug 14, 1859 | 3,548 |
| 6 |  José Rafael Gallegos | Jan 1, 1845 | Jan 1, 1846 | 365 |
| 5 |  Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia | May 8, 1840 | May 8, 1844 | 1,461 |
| 4 |  Braulio Carrillo Colina | May 28, 1838 | Apr 11, 1842 | 1,414 |
| 3 | Braulio Carrillo Colina | May 5, 1835 | Mar 8, 1837 | 673 |
| 2 | José Rafael Gallegos | Mar 1, 1833 | Mar 1, 1835 | 730 |
| 1 |  Juan Mora Fernández | Jan 1, 1825 | Jan 1, 1833 | 2,922 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of Costa Rica?
- Laura Fernández Delgado has been President of Costa Rica since May 8, 2026.
- How is the leader of Costa Rica chosen?
- Its president, Laura Fernández Delgado, has led the country since May 8, 2026. Costa Rica has had 37 presidents since 1825. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as a liberal democracy.
- Who is the longest-serving President of Costa Rica?
- Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno, with 4,383 days in office across 3 terms.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Costa Rica?
- Across 44 completed terms, the average president of Costa Rica has served 1,338 days (about 3.7 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 1,461 days.
- Has Costa Rica ever had a female president?
- Yes. Costa Rica has had 2 female presidents. The first was Laura Chinchilla, who took office in 2010.