View source for List of presidents of Ethiopia

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{{EngvarB|date=September 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Politics of Ethiopia}}

This is a list of [[President of Ethiopia|president]]s of [[Ethiopia]], and also a list of [[Head of state|heads of state]] after the fall of the [[Ethiopian Empire]] in 1974.

Until the [[Ethiopian Revolution]] of 1974, the heads of state of Ethiopia were either [[Emperor of Ethiopia|emperor]]s or [[Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Important offices of the Imperial Court|regent]]s. From the [[1974 Ethiopian coup d'état|coup d'état]] of the [[Derg]] leading to the fall of the empire in September 1974<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/13/archives/removal-is-quiet.html|title=REMOVAL IS QUIET|date=13 September 1974|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref> until March 1975, the Derg considered the crown prince Asfaw Wossen (later regnal name [[Amha Selassie]]) as the king (not emperor) and the nominal ''head of state''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/13/archives/ethiopian-crown-prince-hears-news-of-succession-on-radio.html|title=Ethiopian Crown Prince Hears News of Succession on Radio|date=13 September 1974|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref> – which the crown prince refused to accept. During this time, the ''chairmen of the Derg'', the leaders of the Derg, were to be considered as ''acting heads of state''. On 21 March 1975, the ''Derg military junta'' [[Abolition of monarchy|abolished the monarchy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/22/archives/ethiopias-military-government-abolishes-monarchy-and-titles.html|title=Ethiopia's Military Government Abolishes Monarchy and Titles|date=22 March 1975|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref> and fully took over. Until the establishment of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]] in 1987,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/23/world/ehthiopians-officially-joining-ranks-of-communist-nations.html|title=ETHIOPIANS OFFICIALLY JOINING RANKS OF COMMUNIST NATIONS|date=23 February 1987|author=[[James Brooke (journalist)|James Brooke]]|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref> still dominated by Derg figures, chairmen of the Derg have to be considered ''heads of state'' – but not ''presidents''. After the fall of the Derg and the establishment of the [[Transitional Government of Ethiopia]] in 1991,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/28/world/ethiopian-rebels-storm-the-capital-and-seize-control.html|title=ETHIOPIAN REBELS STORM THE CAPITAL AND SEIZE CONTROL|date=28 May 1991|author=Clifford Krauss|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref> the first immediate president ([[Meles Zenawi]]) has to be considered an ''Interim President''.

Since the formal establishment of the office of president in 1987, there have been 6 official presidents. The president is the head of state of Ethiopia. The current president is [[Taye Atske Selassie]], [[2024 Ethiopian presidential election|elected]] on 7 October 2024 by members of the [[Federal Parliamentary Assembly]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g401e086no|title=Ethiopia president replaced after falling out with PM|date=2024-10-07|work=BBC News|access-date=2024-10-08|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==List of officeholders==
In the list, the ''chairmen of the Derg'' are considered to be ''heads of state'' – but are not considered to be president. Consequently, the numbering starts with the first establishment of the office of the ''president of Ethiopia'' in 1987.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br>{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Party<br>{{small|(Coalition)}}
! rowspan=2| Elected
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|- bgcolor="lightgrey"
| colspan=9| [[File:Flag of Ethiopia (1975–1987) (02).svg|25px]] • '''[[Derg]]''' ''(Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia)'' (1974–1987) • [[File:Emblem of the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia.svg|20px]]
|-
| colspan=9| ''Position not established (12 September 1974 – 15 September 1974)''
|-style="background:#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Aman andom.png|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| Lieutenant general<br>'''[[Aman Andom|Aman Mikael Andom]]'''<br>{{small|(1924–1974)<br>''Acting Head of State''}}
| 15 September 1974
| 17 November 1974<br>{{small|(Resigned)}}
| {{ayd|1974|09|15|1974|11|17}}
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}};"|
| [[Military]]
| —
|-style="background:#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Mengistu Haile Mariam 3.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| Major<br>'''[[Mengistu Haile Mariam]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1937)<br>''Acting Head of State''}}
| 17 November 1974
| 28 November 1974
| {{ayd|1974|11|17|1974|11|28}}
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}};"|
| [[Military]]
| —
|-
| –
| [[File:Tafari Benti (cropped).gif|90px]]
| Brigadier general<br>'''[[Tafari Benti]]'''<br>{{small|(1921–1977)}}
| 28 November 1974
| 3 February 1977†
| {{ayd|1974|11|28|1977|02|03}}
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}};"|
| [[Military]]
| —
|-
| –
| [[File:Mengistu Haile Mariam 3.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| Lieutenant colonel<br>'''[[Mengistu Haile Mariam]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1937)}}
| 3 February 1977
| 10 September 1987
| {{ayd|1977|02|03|1987|09|10}}
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}};"|
| [[Military]]<hr>[[Commission for Organizing the Party of the Working People of Ethiopia|COPWE]]<hr>[[Workers' Party of Ethiopia|WPE]]
| —
|- bgcolor="lightgrey"
| colspan=9| [[File:Flag of Ethiopia (1987-1991).svg|25px]] • '''[[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]]''' (1987–1991) • [[File:Emblem of the Peoples' Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.svg|20px]]
|-
| 1
| [[File:Mengistu Haile Mariam 3.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Mengistu Haile Mariam]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1937)}}
| 10 September 1987
| 21 May 1991<br>{{small|(Resigned)}}
| {{ayd|1987|09|10|1991|05|21}}
! style="background:{{party color|Workers' Party of Ethiopia}};"|
| [[Workers' Party of Ethiopia|WPE]]
| [[1987 Ethiopian general election|1987]]
|-style="background:#E6E6AA"
| –
| [[File:Tesfaye Gebre Kidan.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Tesfaye Gebre Kidan]]'''<br>{{small|(1935–2004)<br>''Acting''}}
| 21 May 1991
| 27 May 1991<br>{{small|(Deposed)}}
| {{ayd|1991|05|21|1991|05|27}}
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| —
|-
| colspan=9| ''Vacant during the [[fall of the Derg regime]] (27 May 1991 – 28 May 1991)''
|- bgcolor="lightgrey"
| colspan=9| [[File:Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg|25px]] • '''[[Transitional Government of Ethiopia]]''' (1991–1995) • [[File:Emblem of Transitional Government of Ethiopia.svg|20px]]
|-
| –
| [[File:Meles Zenawi - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Meles Zenawi]]'''<br>{{small|(1955–[[Death and state funeral of Meles Zenawi|2012]])<br>''Interim''}}
| 28 May 1991
| 21 August 1995
| {{ayd|1991|05|28|1995|08|21}}
! style="background:{{party color|Tigray People's Liberation Front}};"|
| [[Tigray People's Liberation Front|TPLF]]<br>{{small|([[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|EPRDF]])}}
| —
|- bgcolor="lightgrey"
| colspan=9| [[File:Flag of Ethiopia.svg|25px]] • '''[[Ethiopia|Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]]''' (1995–present) • [[File:Emblem of Ethiopia.svg|20px]]
|-
| –
| [[File:Meles Zenawi - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Meles Zenawi]]'''<br>{{small|(1955–[[Death and state funeral of Meles Zenawi|2012]])<br>''Interim''}}
| 21 August 1995
| 22 August 1995
| {{ayd|1995|08|21|1995|08|22}}
! style="background:{{party color|Tigray People's Liberation Front}};"|
| [[Tigray People's Liberation Front|TPLF]]<br>{{small|([[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|EPRDF]])}}
| –
|-
| rowspan=2| 2
| rowspan=2| [[File:Negasso Gidada.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| rowspan=2| '''[[Negasso Gidada]]'''<br>{{small|(1943–2019)}}
| rowspan=2| 22 August 1995
| rowspan=2| 8 October 2001
| rowspan=2| {{ayd|1995|08|22|2001|10|08}}
! style="background:{{party color|Oromo Democratic Party}};"|
| [[Oromo Democratic Party|ODP]]<br>{{small|([[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|EPRDF]])}}
| rowspan=2| 1995
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]{{efn|Expelled from both the ODP party and the EPRDF coalition on 22 June 2001.<ref>[http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=22561 "ETHIOPIA: President expelled from ruling party"], IRIN, 25 June 2001.</ref>}}
|-
| 3
| [[File:The Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Agriculture, Shri Kantilal Bhuria with the President of Ethiopia, Mr. Girma Woldegiorgis during his visit to Ethiopia on November 08, 2006 (cropped).jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Girma Wolde-Giorgis]]'''<br>{{small|(1924–2018)}}
| 8 October 2001
| 7 October 2013
| {{ayd|2001|10|08|2013|10|07}}
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| 2001<br>[[2007 Ethiopian presidential election|2007]]
|-
| 4
| [[File:Mulatu Teshome in Warsaw - 2018 (40792938585) (cropped).jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Mulatu Teshome]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1957)}}
| 7 October 2013
| 25 October 2018
| {{ayd|2013|10|07|2018|10|25}}
! style="background:{{party color|Oromo Democratic Party}};"|
| [[Oromo Democratic Party|ODP]]<br>{{small|([[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|EPRDF]])}}
| [[2013 Ethiopian presidential election|2013]]
|-
| 5
| [[File:Sahle-Work Zewde in 2016.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Sahle-Work Zewde]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1950)}}
| 25 October 2018
| 7 October 2024
| {{ayd|2018|10|25|2024|10|07}}
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| [[2018 Ethiopian presidential election|2018]]
|-
| 6
| [[File:Taye Atske Selassie MFA Portrait.jpg|frameless|upright=0.4]]
| '''[[Taye Atske Selassie]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1956)}}
| 7 October 2024
| ''Incumbent''
| {{ayd|2024|10|7}}
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| [[2024 Ethiopian presidential election|2024]]
|}

==Timeline==
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:15
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:80 right:130 left:20
AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

Colors =
  id:ind       value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)    legend:None_(Independent)
  id:mil       value:rgb(0.76,0.69,0.57) legend:Military
  id:cowpe     value:rgb(1,0,0)          legend:COWPE
  id:wpe       value:rgb(0.78,0.05,0.19) legend:WPE
  id:tplf      value:rgb(0.89,0.21,0.09) legend:TPLF_(EPRDF)
  id:odp       value:rgb(0.99,0.81,0.02) legend:ODP_(EPRDF)
  id:ind-eprdf value:rgb(0.99,0.08,0.01) legend:Independent_(EPRDF)
  id:pp        value:rgb(0.98,0.86,0.07) legend:Prosperity_Party

  id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
  id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1974 till:$today
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1975
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1974

Legend     = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170
 
TextData =
  pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political party:"

BarData =
 bar:Andom
 bar:Mariam
 bar:Benti
 bar:Kidan
 bar:Zenawi
 bar:Gidada
 bar:Wolde-Giorgis
 bar:Teshome
 bar:Zewde
 bar:Atske_Selassie

PlotData =
  width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:Andom
  from: 15/09/1974 till: 17/11/1974 color:mil       text:"[[Aman Andom|Aman Mikael Andom]] (interim)"
 bar:Mariam
  from: 17/11/1974 till: 28/11/1974 color:mil
  from: 03/02/1977 till: 17/12/1979 color:mil
  from: 17/12/1979 till: 12/09/1984 color:cowpe
  from: 12/09/1984 till: 21/05/1991 color:wpe       text:"[[Mengistu Haile Mariam]]"
 bar:Benti
  from: 28/11/1974 till: 03/02/1977 color:mil       text:"[[Tafari Benti]]"
 bar:Kidan
  from: 21/05/1991 till: 27/05/1991 color:ind       text:"[[Tesfaye Gebre Kidan]] (acting)"
 bar:Zenawi
  from: 28/05/1991 till: 22/08/1995 color:tplf      text:"[[Meles Zenawi]] (interim)"
 bar:Gidada
  from: 22/08/1995 till: 22/06/2001 color:odp
  from: 22/06/2001 till: 08/10/2001 color:ind       text:"[[Negasso Gidada]]"
 bar:Wolde-Giorgis
  from: 08/10/2001 till: 07/10/2013 color:ind-eprdf text:"[[Girma Wolde-Giorgis]]"
 bar:Teshome
  from: 07/10/2013 till: 25/10/2018 color:odp       text:"[[Mulatu Teshome]]"
 bar:Zewde
  from: 25/10/2018 till: 01/12/2019 color:ind-eprdf
  from: 01/12/2019 till: 07/10/2024 color:pp        text:"[[Sahle-Work Zewde]]"
 bar:Atske_Selassie
  from: 07/10/2024 till: $today     color:ind       text:"[[Taye Atske Selassie]]"

}}

==See also==
* [[Emperor of Ethiopia]]
** [[List of emperors of Ethiopia]]
* [[President of Ethiopia]]
* [[Prime Minister of Ethiopia]]
** [[List of heads of government of Ethiopia]]
* [[Rulers of Ethiopia]]
* [[Vice President of Ethiopia]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Ethiopia.html World Statesmen – Ethiopia]

{{Presidents of Ethiopia}}
{{Ethiopia topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Presidents Of Ethiopia}}
[[Category:Ethiopia politics-related lists|Presidents of Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Lists of national presidents|Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Presidents of Ethiopia|*]]
[[Category:Government of Ethiopia]]

[[et:Etioopia riigipeade loend#Presidendid]]