Head of state or head of government: who does what

Every state has someone who represents it and someone who runs its government. The head of state signs laws, receives ambassadors and speaks for the nation; the head of government leads the cabinet and answers for its policies. In some countries one person does both; in most, the jobs are split. Of the 193 countries in Govpedia, the split falls four ways.

A monarch reigns, a prime minister governs

In 40 countries the head of state is a hereditary monarch, and executive power lies with a head of government who needs the support of parliament. The monarch’s role is largely ceremonial; the title of the head of government varies, from Prime Minister to Spain’s President of the Government.

AndorraEmmanuel MacronCo-Prince (French Co-Prince)Xavier Espot ZamoraHead of Government (Cap de Govern)

Antigua and BarbudaCharles IIIKingGaston BrownePrime Minister

AustraliaCharles IIIKingAnthony AlbanesePrime Minister

BahamasCharles IIIKingPhilip DavisPrime Minister

BahrainHamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKingSalman bin Hamad Al KhalifaCrown Prince and Prime Minister

BelgiumPhilippeKing of the BelgiansBart De WeverPrime Minister

BelizeCharles IIIKingJohn BriceñoPrime Minister

BhutanJigme Khesar Namgyel WangchuckDruk Gyalpo (King of Bhutan)Tshering TobgayPrime Minister

CambodiaNorodom SihamoniKingHun ManetPrime Minister

CanadaCharles IIIKingMark CarneyPrime Minister

DenmarkFrederik XKingMette FrederiksenPrime Minister

EswatiniMswati IIIKing (Ngwenyama)Russell DlaminiPrime Minister

GrenadaCharles IIIKingDickon MitchellPrime Minister

JamaicaCharles IIIKingAndrew HolnessPrime Minister

JapanNaruhitoEmperorSanae TakaichiPrime Minister

JordanAbdullah IIKingJafar HassanPrime Minister

KuwaitMishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-SabahAmirAhmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-SabahPrime Minister

LesothoLetsie IIIKingSamuel Ntsokoane MatekanePrime Minister

LiechtensteinHans-Adam IIReigning PrinceBrigitte HaasPrime Minister

LuxembourgGuillaume VGrand DukeLuc FriedenPrime Minister

MalaysiaIbrahim IskandarYang di-Pertuan AgongAnwar IbrahimPrime Minister

MonacoAlbert IISovereign PrinceChristophe MirmandMinister of State

MoroccoMohammed VIKingFatima Ezzahra El MansouriHead of Government

NetherlandsWillem-AlexanderKingRob JettenPrime Minister

New ZealandCharles IIIKingChristopher LuxonPrime Minister

NorwayHaakon VIIIKingJonas Gahr StørePrime Minister

Papua New GuineaCharles IIIKingJames MarapePrime Minister

QatarTamim bin Hamad Al ThaniEmirMohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al ThaniPrime Minister

Saint Kitts and NevisCharles IIIKingTerrance DrewPrime Minister

Saint LuciaCharles IIIKingPhilip J. PierrePrime Minister

Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCharles IIIKingGodwin FridayPrime Minister

Saudi ArabiaSalman bin AbdulazizKingMohammed bin SalmanCrown Prince and Prime Minister

Solomon IslandsCharles IIIKingMatthew WalePrime Minister

SpainFelipe VIKingPedro SánchezPresident of the Government

SwedenCarl XVI GustafKingUlf KristerssonPrime Minister (caretaker)

ThailandVajiralongkornKingAnutin CharnvirakulPrime Minister

TongaTupou VIKingLord FakafanuaPrime Minister

TuvaluCharles IIIKingFeleti TeoPrime Minister

United Arab EmiratesMohamed bin Zayed Al NahyanPresidentMohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumVice President and Prime Minister

United KingdomCharles IIIKingAndy BurnhamPrime Minister

A president and a prime minister

In 92 republics both jobs exist side by side. In a parliamentary republic, such as Germany or Italy, the president is elected by parliament or the people but has limited powers. In a semi-presidential system, such as France or Ukraine, the elected president shares real executive power with a prime minister.

AfghanistanHibatullah AkhundzadaSupreme LeaderHasan AkhundPrime Minister

AlbaniaBajram BegajPresidentEdi RamaPrime Minister

AlgeriaAbdelmadjid TebbounePresident of the RepublicSifi GhriebPrime Minister

ArmeniaVahagn KhachaturyanPresidentNikol PashinyanPrime Minister

AustriaAlexander Van der BellenFederal PresidentChristian StockerFederal Chancellor

AzerbaijanIlham AliyevPresidentAli AsadovPrime Minister

BangladeshMirza Fakhrul Islam AlamgirPresidentTarique RahmanPrime Minister

BarbadosJeffrey BosticPresidentMia MottleyPrime Minister

BelarusAlexander LukashenkoPresidentAlexander TurchinPrime Minister

Bosnia and HerzegovinaDenis BećirovićChairman of the PresidencyBorjana KrištoChair of the Council of Ministers

BulgariaIliana IotovaPresidentRumen RadevPrime Minister

Burkina FasoIbrahim TraoréPresident of Faso, Head of StateRimtalba Jean Emmanuel OuédraogoPrime Minister, Head of Government

BurundiÉvariste NdayishimiyePresident of the RepublicNestor NtahontuyePrime Minister

Cabo VerdeJosé Maria NevesPresident of the RepublicFrancisco CarvalhoPrime Minister

CameroonPaul BiyaPresidentJoseph Dion NgutePrime Minister, Head of Government

Central African RepublicFaustin-Archange TouadéraPresident of the Republic, Head of StateFélix MolouaPrime Minister, Head of Government

ChadMahamat Idriss DébyPresident of the RepublicAllamaye HalinaPrime Minister

ChinaXi JinpingPresidentLi QiangPremier of the State Council

Côte d'IvoireAlassane OuattaraPresidentRobert Beugré MambéPrime Minister, Head of Government

CroatiaZoran MilanovićPresidentAndrej PlenkovićPrime Minister

CubaMiguel Díaz-CanelPresidentManuel Marrero CruzPrime Minister

CzechiaPetr PavelPresidentAndrej BabišPrime Minister

Democratic Republic of the CongoFélix TshisekediPresident of the RepublicJudith Suminwa TulukaPrime Minister, Head of Government

DominicaSylvanie BurtonPresidentRoosevelt SkerritPrime Minister

EgyptAbdel Fattah el-SisiPresidentMostafa MadboulyPrime Minister

Equatorial GuineaTeodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoPresident of the RepublicManuel Osa Nsue NsuaPrime Minister in charge of Administrative Coordination

EstoniaÜlle MadisePresident of the RepublicKristen MichalPrime Minister

EthiopiaTaye Atske SelassiePresidentAbiy AhmedPrime Minister

FijiNaiqama LalabalavuPresidentSitiveni RabukaPrime Minister

FinlandAlexander StubbPresidentPetteri OrpoPrime Minister

FranceEmmanuel MacronPresidentSébastien LecornuPrime Minister

GeorgiaMikheil KavelashviliPresidentIrakli KobakhidzePrime Minister

GermanyFrank-Walter SteinmeierFederal PresidentFriedrich MerzFederal Chancellor

GreeceKonstantinos TasoulasPresident of the Hellenic RepublicKyriakos MitsotakisPrime Minister

GuineaMamadi DoumbouyaPresident of the RepublicAmadou Oury BahPrime Minister, Head of Government

Guinea-BissauHorta Inta-A Na ManTransitional President; Chief of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public OrderIlídio Vieira TéPrime Minister

HaitiCouncil of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-AiméExercises the interim of the presidencyAlix Didier Fils-AiméPrime Minister

HungaryAndrás BakaPresident of the RepublicPéter MagyarPrime Minister

IcelandHalla TómasdóttirPresidentKristrún FrostadóttirPrime Minister

IndiaDroupadi MurmuPresidentNarendra ModiPrime Minister

IranMojtaba KhameneiSupreme LeaderMasoud PezeshkianPresident

IraqNizar AmidiPresidentAli al-ZaidiPrime Minister

IrelandCatherine ConnollyPresidentMicheál MartinTaoiseach

IsraelIsaac HerzogPresidentBenjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister

ItalySergio MattarellaPresidentGiorgia MeloniPresident of the Council of Ministers

KazakhstanKassym-Jomart TokayevPresidentOlzhas BektenovPrime Minister

KyrgyzstanSadyr JaparovPresidentAdylbek KasymalievChairman of the Cabinet of Ministers

LaosThongloun SisoulithPresidentSaleumxay KommasithPrime Minister

LatviaEdgars RinkēvičsPresidentAndris KulbergsPrime Minister

LebanonJoseph AounPresident of the RepublicNawaf SalamPrime Minister

LibyaMohamed al-MenfiChairman of the Presidential CouncilAbdul Hamid DbeibahPrime Minister, Government of National Unity (Tripoli)

LithuaniaGitanas NausėdaPresidentMindaugas SinkevičiusPrime Minister

MadagascarMichael RandrianirinaPresident of the Refoundation of the Republic of MadagascarMamitiana Jeannot Ruffin RajaonarisonPrime Minister, Head of Government

MaliAssimi GoïtaPresident of the Transition, Head of StateAbdoulaye MaïgaPrime Minister

MaltaMyriam Spiteri DebonoPresidentRobert AbelaPrime Minister

MauritaniaMohamed Ould Cheikh El GhazouaniPresident of the RepublicMokhtar Ould DjayPrime Minister

MauritiusDharambeer GokhoolPresidentNavinchandra RamgoolamPrime Minister

MoldovaMaia SanduPresidentVasile TofanPrime Minister

MongoliaUkhnaagiin KhürelsükhPresidentNyam-Osoryn UchralPrime Minister

MontenegroJakov MilatovićPresidentMilojko SpajićPrime Minister

NepalRam Chandra PaudelPresidentBalendra ShahPrime Minister

NigerAbdourahamane TianiPresident of the Republic, Head of State, President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the HomelandAli Lamine ZeinePrime Minister

North KoreaKim Jong UnPresident of the State AffairsPak Thae-songPremier of the Cabinet

North MacedoniaGordana Siljanovska-DavkovaPresidentHristijan MickoskiPrime Minister

PakistanAsif Ali ZardariPresidentShehbaz SharifPrime Minister

PolandKarol NawrockiPresidentDonald TuskPrime Minister

PortugalAntónio José SeguroPresidentLuís MontenegroPrime Minister

Republic of KoreaLee Jae MyungPresidentHan Seong-sookPrime Minister

Republic of the CongoDenis Sassou NguessoPresident of the RepublicAnatole Collinet MakossoPrime Minister, Head of Government

RomaniaNicușor DanPresident of RomaniaIlie BolojanPrime Minister

RussiaVladimir PutinPresidentMikhail MishustinChairman of the Government (Prime Minister)

RwandaPaul KagamePresidentJustin NsengiyumvaPrime Minister

SamoaTuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi IIHead of State (O le Ao o le Malo)Laʻaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi SchmidtPrime Minister

San MarinoGerardo GiovagnoliCaptain RegentCongress of StateCollective head of government

São Tomé and PríncipeCarlos Vila NovaPresident of the RepublicAmérico RamosPrime Minister

SenegalBassirou Diomaye FayePresidentAhmadou Alhaminou Mohamed LoPrime Minister

SerbiaAna BrnabićActing PresidentĐuro MacutPrime Minister

SingaporeTharman ShanmugaratnamPresidentLawrence WongPrime Minister

SlovakiaPeter PellegriniPresidentRobert FicoPrime Minister

SloveniaNataša Pirc MusarPresidentJanez JanšaPrime Minister

SomaliaHassan Sheikh MohamudPresident of the Federal Republic of SomaliaHamza Abdi BarrePrime Minister

Sri LankaAnura Kumara DissanayakePresidentHarini AmarasuriyaPrime Minister

SudanAbdel Fattah al-BurhanChairman of the Transitional Sovereignty CouncilKamil IdrisPrime Minister

Timor-LesteJosé Ramos-HortaPresident of the RepublicKay Rala Xanana GusmãoPrime Minister

TogoJean-Lucien Kwassi Lanyo Savi de TovéPresident of the RepublicFaure Essozimna GnassingbéPresident of the Council of Ministers

Trinidad and TobagoChristine KangalooPresidentKamla Persad-BissessarPrime Minister

TunisiaKais SaiedPresident of the RepublicSarra Zaafrani ZenzriHead of Government

UkraineVolodymyr ZelenskyyPresidentSergii KoretskyiPrime Minister

UzbekistanShavkat MirziyoyevPresident of the Republic of UzbekistanAbdulla AripovPrime Minister

VanuatuNikenike VurobaravuPresidentJotham NapatPrime Minister

VietnamTo LamState PresidentLe Minh HungPrime Minister

YemenRashad al-AlimiChairman of the Presidential Leadership CouncilShaea Mohsen Al-ZandaniPrime Minister

One person, both jobs

In a presidential republic the president is both head of state and head of government, and the cabinet answers to the president rather than to parliament. 60 countries in Govpedia work this way.

AngolaJoão LourençoPresident of the Republic

ArgentinaJavier MileiPresident

BeninRomuald WadagniPresident of the Republic

BoliviaRodrigo Paz PereiraPresident of the Plurinational State

BotswanaDuma BokoPresident

BrazilLuiz Inácio Lula da SilvaPresident

BruneiHassanal BolkiahSultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam

ChileJosé Antonio KastPresident of the Republic

ColombiaAbelardo de la EspriellaPresident

ComorosAzali AssoumaniPresident of the Union of the Comoros

Costa RicaLaura Fernández DelgadoPresident

CyprusNikos ChristodoulidesPresident of the Republic

DjiboutiIsmail Omar GuellehPresident of the Republic

Dominican RepublicLuis AbinaderPresident

EcuadorDaniel NoboaPresident of the Republic

El SalvadorNayib BukelePresident

EritreaIsaias AfwerkiPresident

GabonBrice Clotaire Oligui NguemaPresident of the Republic, Head of State

GambiaAdama BarrowPresident

GhanaJohn Dramani MahamaPresident

GuatemalaBernardo ArévaloPresident

GuyanaIrfaan AliPresident

HondurasNasry AsfuraPresident

IndonesiaPrabowo SubiantoPresident

KenyaWilliam Samoei RutoPresident

KiribatiTaneti MaamauPresident (Te Beretitenti)

LiberiaJoseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.President of Liberia

MalawiPeter MutharikaPresident of the Republic

MaldivesMohamed MuizzuPresident

Marshall IslandsHilda HeinePresident

MexicoClaudia SheinbaumPresident

MicronesiaWesley W. SiminaPresident

MozambiqueDaniel ChapoPresident of the Republic

MyanmarMin Aung HlaingPresident

NamibiaNetumbo Nandi-NdaitwahPresident

NauruDavid AdeangPresident

NicaraguaDaniel OrtegaCo-President

NigeriaBola TinubuPresident

OmanHaitham bin TarikSultan

PalauSurangel Whipps Jr.President

PanamaJosé Raúl MulinoPresident of the Republic

ParaguaySantiago PeñaPresident of the Republic

PeruKeiko FujimoriPresident of the Republic

PhilippinesFerdinand Marcos Jr.President

SeychellesPatrick HerminiePresident of the Republic of Seychelles

Sierra LeoneJulius Maada BioPresident

South AfricaCyril RamaphosaPresident

South SudanSalva Kiir MayarditPresident

SurinameJennifer Geerlings-SimonsPresident

SyriaAhmed al-SharaaPresident

TajikistanEmomali RahmonPresident

TanzaniaSamia Suluhu HassanPresident

TürkiyeRecep Tayyip ErdoğanPresident

TurkmenistanSerdar BerdimuhamedovPresident

UgandaYoweri Kaguta MuseveniPresident

United StatesDonald J. TrumpPresident

UruguayYamandú OrsiPresident

VenezuelaDelcy RodríguezActing President

ZambiaHakainde HichilemaPresident

ZimbabweEmmerson MnangagwaPresident of the Republic

A government with no single leader

Switzerland is governed by the seven members of the Federal Council, acting together. Each year one of them serves as President of the Confederation, chairing the council and representing the country, without extra power over the others.

SwitzerlandGuy ParmelinPresident of the Confederation (2026)Federal CouncilCollective head of government