# List of heads of state of Chad

This is a list of heads of state of Chad since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day.
A total of six people have served as head of state of Chad (not counting two Interim Heads of State). Additionally, one person, Goukouni Oueddei, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.
The current head of state of Chad is Mahamat Déby, since 20 April 2021, when he took power in a military coup following the death of his father, President Idriss Déby. Mahamat Déby was President of the Transitional Military Council, a military junta, from 20 April 2021 until 10 October 2022, when he was sworn is as Transitional President of the Republic following a "national dialogue". On 6 May 2024, Déby won the presidential election and was proclaimed President on 23 May.

## Term limits

In 2018, the new Constitution of Chad reinstated two-term limits for the president. It also changed the length of the term from five years to six years. However, in 2023, a constitutional referendum was held which changed the length of the term from six years back to five years and which also lowered the minimum age for the presidency from 40 down to 35.

## Titles

* 1960–1962: Head of State
* 1962–1975: President of the Republic
* 1975 : Chairman of the Supreme Military Council
* 1975–1978: Head of State
* 1978–1979: President of the Republic
* 1979 : Chairman of the Provisional Council of State
* 1979 : President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
* 1979 : Chairman of the Provisional Administrative Committee
* 1979–1982: President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
* 1982 : Chairman of the Command Council of the Armed Forces of the North
* 1982 : Chairman of the Council of State
* 1982–1990: President of the Republic
* 1990 : President of the Patriotic Salvation Movement
* 1990–1991: President of the Council of State
* 1991–2021: President of the Republic
* 2021–2022: President of the Transitional Military Council
* 2022–2024: Transitional President of the Republic
* 2024–present: President of the Republic

## List of officeholders
### Symbols

$^C$ Constitutional referendum
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Prime minister(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Prime minister(s) |
| 1 | | François Tombalbaye (1918–1975) | 1962 1969 | 11 August 1960 | 13 April 1975 (Assassinated in a coup) | 14 years, 245 days | PPT until 1973 renamed to MNRCS | Position not established |
| – | | Noël Milarew Odingar (1932–2007) | — | 13 April 1975 | 15 April 1975 | 2 days | Military | Position not established |
| 2 | | Félix Malloum (1932–2009) | — | 15 April 1975 | 23 March 1979 (Resigned) | 3 years, 342 days | Military | Habré |
| 3 | | Goukouni Oueddei (born 1944) | — | 23 March 1979 | 29 April 1979 | 37 days | FROLINAT–FAP | Position vacant |
| 4 | | Lol Mahamat Choua (1939–2019) | — | 29 April 1979 | 3 September 1979 | 127 days | MPLT | Position vacant |
| (3) | | Goukouni Oueddei (born 1944) | — | 3 September 1979 | 7 June 1982 (Deposed in a coup) | 2 years, 277 days | FROLINAT–FAP | Ngardoum (from 19 May 1982) |
| 5 | | Hissène Habré (1942–2021) | 1989 | 7 June 1982 | 2 December 1990 (Deposed in a coup) | 8 years, 178 days | FAN / UNIR | Ngardoum (until 19 June 1982) |
| 6 | | Idriss Déby (1952–2021) | 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 | 2 December 1990 | 20 April 2021 (Killed in action) | 30 years, 139 days | Military / MPS | Bawoyeu Yodoyman Moungar Koumakoye Djimasta Ouaido Yamassoum Kabadi Faki Yoadimnadji Younousmi Koumakoye Abbas Nadingar Dadnadji Deubet Padacké |
| 7 | | Mahamat Déby (born 1984) | 2024 | 20 April 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 290 days | Military / MPS | Padacké Kebzabo Masra Halina |

## Latest election

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Mahamat Déby | Patriotic Salvation Movement | 3,777,279 | 61.00 |
| | Succès Masra | Les Transformateurs | 1,148,245 | 18.54 |
| | Albert Pahimi Padacké | National Rally for Democracy in Chad | 1,048,015 | 16.93 |
| | Lydie Beassemda | Party for Integral Democracy and Independence [fr] | 59,632 | 0.96 |
| | Théophile Bongoro [fr] | Party for Rally and Equity in Chad | 46,784 | 0.76 |
| | Alladoum Djarma [ha] | Chadian Socialist Action for Renewal | 33,765 | 0.55 |
| | Brice Guedmbaye [ha] | Movement of Patriotic Chadians for the Republic | 27,848 | 0.45 |
| | Yacine Abdramane Sakine [fr] | Reformist Party [fr] | 22,328 | 0.36 |
| | Mansiri Lopsikréo [fr] | Les Élites | 15,147 | 0.24 |
| | Nasra Djimasngar [fr] | A New Day | 12,738 | 0.21 |
| Total | Total | Total | 6,191,781 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 6,191,781 | 99.62 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 23,463 | 0.38 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,215,244 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 8,202,207 | 75.78 |
| Source: Africa 24 |||||