← All countries

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

RepublicElectoral autocracy

Daniel Ortega

President · 7,220 days in office

How the political system works in Nicaragua

Nicaragua is governed as a republic. Its president, Daniel Ortega, has led the country since Jan 10, 2007. Nicaragua has had 47 presidents since 1854. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.

Tenure records

Recent presidents by days in office

Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Nicaragua?

Across 54 completed terms, the average president of Nicaragua has served 1,111 days (about 3.0 years). Terms are getting longer: the last five completed terms averaged 2,930 days.

All presidents of Nicaragua

#	Name	Took office	Left office	Days
56	Daniel Ortega	Feb 18, 2025	Incumbent	606
55	Rosario Murillo	Feb 18, 2025	Incumbent	606
54	Daniel Ortega	Jan 10, 2007	Feb 18, 2025	6,614
53	Enrique Bolaños	Jan 10, 2002	Jan 10, 2007	1,826
52	Arnoldo Alemán	Jan 10, 1997	Jan 10, 2002	1,826
51	Violeta Chamorro	Apr 25, 1990	Jan 10, 1997	2,452
50	Daniel Ortega	Jan 10, 1985	Apr 25, 1990	1,931
49	Francisco Urcuyo	Jul 17, 1979	Jul 18, 1979	1
48	Anastasio Somoza Debayle	Dec 1, 1974	Jul 17, 1979	1,689
47	Anastasio Somoza Debayle	May 1, 1967	May 1, 1972	1,827
46	Lorenzo Guerrero	Aug 4, 1966	May 1, 1967	270
45	Orlando Montenegro Medrano	Aug 3, 1966	Aug 4, 1966	1
44	René Schick	May 1, 1963	Aug 3, 1966	1,190
43	Luis Somoza Debayle	Sep 29, 1956	May 1, 1963	2,405
42	Anastasio Somoza García	May 7, 1950	Sep 29, 1956	2,337
41	Manuel Fernando Zurita	May 6, 1950	May 7, 1950	1
40	Víctor Manuel Román y Reyes	Aug 15, 1947	May 6, 1950	995
39	Benjamín Lacayo Sacasa	May 26, 1947	Aug 15, 1947	81
38	Leonardo Argüello Barreto	May 1, 1947	May 26, 1947	25
37	Anastasio Somoza García	Jan 1, 1937	May 1, 1947	3,772
36	Carlos Alberto Brenes	Jun 9, 1936	Jan 1, 1937	206
35	Juan Bautista Sacasa	Jan 1, 1933	Jun 9, 1936	1,255
34	José María Moncada	Jan 1, 1929	Jan 1, 1933	1,461
33	Adolfo Díaz	Nov 14, 1926	Jan 1, 1929	779
32	Sebastián Uriza	Nov 11, 1926	Nov 14, 1926	3
31	Emiliano Chamorro Vargas	Mar 14, 1926	Nov 11, 1926	242
30	Carlos José Solórzano	Jan 1, 1925	Mar 14, 1926	437
29	Bartolomé Martínez	Oct 27, 1923	Jan 1, 1925	432
28	Rosendo Chamorro	Oct 12, 1923	Oct 27, 1923	15
27	Diego Manuel Chamorro	Jan 1, 1921	Oct 12, 1923	1,014
26	Emiliano Chamorro Vargas	Jan 1, 1917	Jan 1, 1921	1,461
25	Adolfo Díaz	May 9, 1911	Jan 1, 1917	2,064
24	Juan José Estrada Morales	Aug 29, 1910	May 9, 1911	253
23	Luis Mena	Aug 27, 1910	Aug 30, 1910	3
22	José Dolores Estrada	Aug 20, 1910	Aug 27, 1910	7
21	José Madriz	Dec 21, 1909	Aug 20, 1910	242
20	José Santos Zelayo	Jul 25, 1893	Dec 21, 1909	5,992
19	Joaquín Zavala	Jul 16, 1893	Jul 25, 1893	9
18	Salvador Machado	Jul 11, 1893	Jul 15, 1893	4
17	Roberto Sacasa	Mar 1, 1891	Jul 11, 1893	863
16	Ignacio Chaves Tellería	Jan 1, 1891	Mar 1, 1891	59
15	Roberto Sacasa	Aug 5, 1889	Jan 1, 1891	514
14	Nicolás Osorno	Aug 1, 1889	Aug 5, 1889	4
13	Evaristo Carazo	Mar 1, 1887	Aug 1, 1889	884
12	Adán Cárdenas	Mar 1, 1883	Mar 1, 1887	1,461
11	Joaquín Zavala	Mar 1, 1879	Mar 1, 1883	1,461
10	Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Alfaro	Mar 1, 1875	Mar 1, 1879	1,461
9	José Vicente Cuadra	Mar 1, 1871	Mar 1, 1875	1,461
8	Fernando Guzmán Solórzano	Mar 1, 1867	Mar 1, 1871	1,461
7	Tomás Martínez Guerrero	Nov 15, 1857	Mar 1, 1867	3,393
6	Máximo Jerez	Jun 24, 1857	Nov 15, 1857	144
5	William Walker	Jul 12, 1856	May 1, 1857	293
4	Patricio Rivas	Oct 25, 1855	Jun 24, 1857	608
3	José María Estrada	Apr 10, 1855	Oct 23, 1855	196
2	José María Estrada	Jun 1, 1854	Apr 9, 1855	312
1	Fruto Chamorro	Apr 30, 1854	Mar 12, 1855	316

Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the President of Nicaragua?

Daniel Ortega has been President of Nicaragua since Jan 10, 2007.

How is the leader of Nicaragua chosen?

Nicaragua is governed as a republic. Its president, Daniel Ortega, has led the country since Jan 10, 2007. Nicaragua has had 47 presidents since 1854. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.

Who is the longest-serving President of Nicaragua?

Daniel Ortega, with 9,151 days in office across 3 terms.

Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Nicaragua?

Across 54 completed terms, the average president of Nicaragua has served 1,111 days (about 3.0 years). Terms are getting longer: the last five completed terms averaged 2,930 days.

Has Nicaragua ever had a female president?

Yes. Nicaragua has had 2 female presidents. The first was Violeta Chamorro, who took office in 1990.