# List of heads of government of Ethiopia

This is a list of heads of government of Ethiopia since the formation of the post of Chief Minister of the Ethiopian Empire in 1909 (renamed to Prime Minister in 1943). Since 1909, there have been 3 chief ministers and 11 prime ministers and one was both chief minister and prime minister, making a total of 15 persons being or having been head of government.
Most of the prime ministers of Ethiopia were regular prime ministers, appointed through a regular political process. Some others were acting prime ministers only (indicated in the list below), while others were both acting and regular prime ministers during their term(s). In addition, there is one prime minister who was acting prime minister first, then was regularly appointed and finally served as a caretaker prime minister of an outgoing government: Hailemariam Desalegn. During the 1960 coup d'état attempt, two prime ministers served at the same time, the regular one and an irregular one appointed by the leaders of the coup. Also, there was an interim prime minister after the end of the Ethiopian Civil War.
Since 1995, the prime minister of Ethiopia has not only been the head of government, but also the commander-in-chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. The current prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, took office on 2 April 2018.

## List

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party (Coalition) | Elected |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party (Coalition) | Elected |
| • Ethiopian Empire (1137–1974) • ||||||||
| 1 | | Fit'awrari Habte Giyorgis Dinagde (1851–1926) | 1909 | 12 December 1926† | 16–17 years | Independent | — |
| 2 | | Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892–1975) | 1927 | 1 May 1936 (Exiled) | 8–9 years | Independent | — |
| 3 | | Betwoded Wolde Tzaddick | 1 May 1936 | 14 May 1942 | 6 years, 13 days | Independent | — |
| 4 | | Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew (1890–1963) | 14 May 1942 | 27 November 1957 | 15 years, 197 days | Independent | — |
| 5 | | Ras Abebe Aregai (1903–1960) | 27 November 1957 | 17 December 1960† | 3 years, 20 days | Independent | 1957 |
| – | | Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie (1892–1980) Acting | 14 December 1960 | 17 December 1960 | 3 days | Independent | — |
| Vacant (17 December 1960 – 17 April 1961) ||||||||
| 6 | | Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold (1912–1974) | 17 April 1961 | 1 March 1974 (Resigned) | 12 years, 318 days | Independent | 1961 1965 1969 1973 |
| 7 | | Lij Endelkachew Makonnen (1927–1974) | 1 March 1974 | 22 July 1974 (Imprisoned by the Derg) | 143 days | Independent | — |
| Vacant (22 July 1974 – 3 August 1974) ||||||||
| 8 | | Lij Mikael Imru (1929–2008) | 3 August 1974 | 12 September 1974 (Deposed by the Derg) | 40 days | Independent | — |
| • Derg (Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia) (1974–1987) • ||||||||
| Post Abolished (12 September 1974 – 10 September 1987) ||||||||
| • People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991) • ||||||||
| 9 | | Fikre Selassie Wogderess (1945–2020) | 10 September 1987 | 8 November 1989 (Dismissed) | 2 years, 59 days | WPE | 1987 |
| – | | Hailu Yimenu (?–1991) Acting | 8 November 1989 | 26 April 1991 | 1 year, 169 days | WPE | — |
| – | | Tesfaye Dinka (1939–2016) Acting | 26 April 1991 | 6 June 1991 (Deposed) | 41 days | WPE | — |
| • Transitional Government of Ethiopia (1991–1995) • ||||||||
| – | | Tamrat Layne (born 1955) Interim | 6 June 1991 | 22 August 1995 | 4 years, 77 days | ANDM (EPRDF) | — |
| • Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1995–present) • ||||||||
| 10 | | Meles Zenawi (1955–2012) | 23 August 1995 | 20 August 2012† | 16 years, 363 days | TPLF (EPRDF) | 1995 2000 2005 2010 |
| 11 | | Hailemariam Desalegn (born 1965) | 20 August 2012 | 2 April 2018 | 5 years, 225 days | SEPDM (EPRDF) | 2015 |
| 12 | | Abiy Ahmed (born 1976) | 2 April 2018 | Incumbent | 6 years, 290 days | ODP (EPRDF) Prosperity | 2021 |