🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
RepublicElectoral democracy
Anura Kurankan Dissanayake
President · 754 days in office
How the political system works in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is governed as a republic. Its president, Anura Kurankan Dissanayake, has led the country since Sep 23, 2024. Sri Lanka has had 10 presidents since 1972. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral democracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Chandrika Kumaratunga
4,025 days
Shortest-serving
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
560 days
Average tenure
1,912 days
Anura Kurankan Dissanayake: 61% below average
Female leaders
1 of 10
First: Chandrika Kumaratunga (1994)
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Sri Lanka?
Across 10 completed terms, the average president of Sri Lanka has served 1,912 days (about 5.2 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 1,378 days. The last leader to beat the average was Mahinda Rajapaksa, who left office in 2015.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of Sri Lanka
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 |  Anura Kurankan Dissanayake | Sep 23, 2024 | Incumbent | 754 |
| 10 |  Ranil Wickremesinghe | Jul 15, 2022 | Sep 23, 2024 | 801 |
| 9 | Ranil Wickremesinghe | Jul 14, 2022 | Jul 21, 2022 | 7 |
| 8 |  Gotabaya Rajapaksa | Nov 18, 2019 | Jul 14, 2022 | 969 |
| 7 |  Maithripala Sirisena | Jan 9, 2015 | Nov 18, 2019 | 1,774 |
| 6 |  Mahinda Rajapaksa | Nov 19, 2005 | Jan 9, 2015 | 3,338 |
| 5 |  Chandrika Kumaratunga | Nov 12, 1994 | Nov 19, 2005 | 4,025 |
| 4 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga | May 1, 1993 | Nov 12, 1994 | 560 |
| 3 |  Ranasinghe Premadasa | Jan 2, 1989 | May 1, 1993 | 1,580 |
| 2 |  Junius Richard Jayewardene | Feb 4, 1978 | Jan 2, 1989 | 3,985 |
| 1 |  William Gopallawa | May 22, 1972 | Feb 4, 1978 | 2,084 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of Sri Lanka?
- Anura Kurankan Dissanayake has been President of Sri Lanka since Sep 23, 2024.
- How is the leader of Sri Lanka chosen?
- Sri Lanka is governed as a republic. Its president, Anura Kurankan Dissanayake, has led the country since Sep 23, 2024. Sri Lanka has had 10 presidents since 1972. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral democracy.
- Who is the longest-serving President of Sri Lanka?
- Chandrika Kumaratunga, with 4,025 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Sri Lanka?
- Across 10 completed terms, the average president of Sri Lanka has served 1,912 days (about 5.2 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 1,378 days. The last leader to beat the average was Mahinda Rajapaksa, who left office in 2015.
- Has Sri Lanka ever had a female president?
- Yes. Sri Lanka has had 1 female president. The first was Chandrika Kumaratunga, who took office in 1994.