Protocol holds that a head of state takes precedence over all other officials,
and that heads of state rank in the order that they took office. The following list contains the heads of state for all United Nations member states and non-member observer states.
Commonwealth realms, other than the United Kingdom, each have a local governor-general appointed to represent the monarch in the realm's government. Governors-general are frequently accorded the status and privileges of a head of state at diplomatic events when considered as representing their absentee monarch, but not as themselves heads of state. The princes of Andorra each have a representative as well. Hereditary Prince Alois is permanent representative for exercising the sovereign powers due to Liechtenstein Prince Hans-Adam II.[1] They are included in the list and are highlighted in blue.
However, in many cases it is not this neutral principle but national rules of protocol that are acted upon, usually by an international event's host nation, as in many bilateral and even certain multilateral occasions. Various international organisations have a system for internal use. Even in the presence of one or more Heads of State, certain occasions are governed by specific protocol, e.g. military. Thus in many cases precedence is given to monarchs over republican heads of state, mostly in monarchies; in some nations, the Pope (himself a monarchical head of state) ranks above secular heads of state, especially in Roman Catholic countries.
^Harald V was previously Prince-Regent from 1 June 1990 – 17 January 1991.
^Haakon was Prince-Regent from 25 November 2003 – 13 April 2004 and 29 March 2005 – 7 June 2005.
^Isaias Afwerki has been the leader of Eritrea (initially titled Secretary-general of the Provisional Government) from 29 May 1991, but the country only became independent on 24 May 1993.
^Letsie III was previously King of Lesotho between 12 November 1990 – 25 January 1995.
^Denis Sassou Nguesso was previously President of the People's Republic of the Congo (as the country was named then) between 8 February 1979 – 31 August 1992.
^The monarch was titled Emir until 14 February 2002.
^Daniel Ortega was previously President between 10 January 1985 – 25 April 1990.
^Alassane Ouattara was previously Prime Minister between 7 November 1990 – 9 December 1993.
^Tupou VI – then titled Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata – was previously Prime Minister between 3 January 2000 – 11 February 2006.
^Vladimir Putin was previously President between 31 December 1999 – 7 May 2008, and Prime Minister between 9 August 1999 – 7 May 2000 and 8 May 2008 – 7 May 2012.
^It is the Holy See and not the Vatican City state that maintains diplomatic relations with states and participates in international organisations. The Holy See and the Vatican City state are two separate and distinct entities. Foreign embassies are accredited to the Holy See, not to the Vatican City state, and it is the Holy See that establishes treaties and concordats with other sovereign entities. Also it is the Holy See that has United Nations Observer status not the Vatican City state.
^Thongloun Sisoulith was previously Prime Minister between 20 April 2016 – 22 March 2021 and is General Secretary of the People's Revolutionary Party since 15 January 2021.
^As President of the Transitional Military Council until 10 October 2022, and thereafter as Transitional President until 10 May 2024
^Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was President of Brazil 1 January 2003 – 31 December 2010.
^Andry Rajoelina was Head of State of Madagascar (as President of the High Transitional Authority) 17 March 2009 – 25 January 2014, then the elected President 19 January 2019 – 9 September 2023.
^Hilda Heine was President of the Marshall Islands 28 January 2016 – 13 January 2020.
^Asif Ali Zardari was President of Pakistan 9 September 2008 – 9 September 2013.
^"Sudan's reinstated PM Hamdok promises a path to democracy". Al Jazeera. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2023. The 14-point deal between Hamdok and the military, signed in the presidential palace in Khartoum on Sunday, also provides for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup and stipulates that a 2019 constitutional declaration be the basis for a political transition, according to details read out on state television.