# List of presidents of Ethiopia

This is a list of presidents of Ethiopia, and also a list of 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 emperors or regents. From the coup d'état of the Derg leading to the fall of the empire in September 1974 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 – 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 abolished the monarchy and fully took over. Until the establishment of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 1987, 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, 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, elected on 7 October 2024 by members of the Federal Parliamentary Assembly.

## List

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.
| 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 |
| • Derg (Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia) (1974–1987) • ||||||||
| – | | Lieutenant general Aman Mikael Andom (1924–1974) Acting Head of State | 15 September 1974 | 17 November 1974 (Resigned) | 63 days | Military | — |
| – | | Major Mengistu Haile Mariam (born 1937) Acting Head of State | 17 November 1974 | 28 November 1974 | 11 days | Military | — |
| – | | Brigadier general Tafari Benti (1921–1977) | 28 November 1974 | 3 February 1977† | 2 years, 67 days | Military | — |
| – | | Lieutenant colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam (born 1937) | 3 February 1977 | 10 September 1987 | 10 years, 219 days | Military COPWE WPE | — |
| • People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991) • ||||||||
| 1 | | Mengistu Haile Mariam (born 1937) | 10 September 1987 | 21 May 1991 (Resigned) | 3 years, 253 days | WPE | 1987 |
| – | | Tesfaye Gebre Kidan (1935–2004) Acting | 21 May 1991 | 27 May 1991 (Deposed) | 6 days | WPE | — |
| • Transitional Government of Ethiopia (1991–1995) • ||||||||
| – | | Meles Zenawi (1955–2012) Interim | 28 May 1991 | 22 August 1995 | 4 years, 86 days | TPLF (EPRDF) | — |
| • Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1995–present) • ||||||||
| 2 | | Negasso Gidada (1943–2019) | 22 August 1995 | 8 October 2001 | 6 years, 47 days | ODP (EPRDF) Independent | 1995 |
| 3 | | Girma Wolde-Giorgis (1924–2018) | 8 October 2001 | 7 October 2013 | 11 years, 364 days | Independent | 2001 2007 |
| 4 | | Mulatu Teshome (born 1957) | 7 October 2013 | 25 October 2018 | 5 years, 18 days | ODP (EPRDF) | 2013 |
| 5 | | Sahle-Work Zewde (born 1950) | 25 October 2018 | 7 October 2024 | 5 years, 348 days | Independent | 2018 |
| 6 | | Taye Atske Selassie (born 1956) | 7 October 2024 | Incumbent | 134 days | Independent | 2024 |