🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Federal republicElectoral autocracy
Taye Atske Selassie
President · 740 days in office
How the political system works in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is governed as a federal republic. Its president, Taye Atske Selassie, has led the country since Oct 7, 2024. Ethiopia has had 10 presidents since 1974. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Mengistu Haile Mariam
5,231 days · 2 terms
Shortest-serving
Tesfaye Genre Kidan
7 days
Average tenure
1,829 days
Taye Atske Selassie: 60% below average
Female leaders
1 of 10
First: Sahle-Work Zewde (2018)
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Ethiopia?
Across 10 completed terms, the average president of Ethiopia has served 1,829 days (about 5.0 years). Terms are getting longer: the last five completed terms averaged 2,437 days.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of Ethiopia
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 |  Taye Atske Selassie | Oct 7, 2024 | Incumbent | 740 |
| 10 |  Sahle-Work Zewde | Oct 25, 2018 | Oct 7, 2024 | 2,174 |
| 9 |  Mulatu Teshome | Oct 6, 2013 | Oct 25, 2018 | 1,845 |
| 8 |  Girma Wolde-Giorgis | Oct 8, 2001 | Oct 7, 2013 | 4,382 |
| 7 |  Negasso Gidada | Aug 22, 1995 | Oct 8, 2001 | 2,239 |
| 6 |  Meles Zenawi | May 28, 1991 | Aug 22, 1995 | 1,547 |
| 5 |  Tesfaye Genre Kidan | May 21, 1991 | May 28, 1991 | 7 |
| 4 |  Mengistu Haile Mariam | Feb 3, 1977 | May 21, 1991 | 5,220 |
| 3 |  Tafari Benti | Nov 28, 1974 | Feb 3, 1977 | 798 |
| 2 | Mengistu Haile Mariam | Nov 17, 1974 | Nov 28, 1974 | 11 |
| 1 |  Aman Andom | Sep 12, 1974 | Nov 17, 1974 | 66 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of Ethiopia?
- Taye Atske Selassie has been President of Ethiopia since Oct 7, 2024.
- How is the leader of Ethiopia chosen?
- Ethiopia is governed as a federal republic. Its president, Taye Atske Selassie, has led the country since Oct 7, 2024. Ethiopia has had 10 presidents since 1974. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.
- Who is the longest-serving President of Ethiopia?
- Mengistu Haile Mariam, with 5,231 days in office across 2 terms.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Ethiopia?
- Across 10 completed terms, the average president of Ethiopia has served 1,829 days (about 5.0 years). Terms are getting longer: the last five completed terms averaged 2,437 days.
- Has Ethiopia ever had a female president?
- Yes. Ethiopia has had 1 female president. The first was Sahle-Work Zewde, who took office in 2018.