# List of presidents of Sri Lanka

* Top left: William Gopallawa was the first and only non-executive president of Sri Lanka.
* Top right: J. R. Jayewardene was the first executive president of Sri Lanka.
* Bottom left: Chandrika Kumaratunga was the first female president and also the longest serving president of Sri Lanka.
* Bottom right: Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the current president of Sri Lanka.
The president of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the chief executive of Sri Lanka. The president is a dominant political figure in the country. The office was created in 1972, as more of a ceremonial position. It was empowered with executive powers by the 1978 Constitution introduced by J. R. Jayewardene.

## Presidents
### Parties

Independent (1) United National Party (4) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (3) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (1) National People's Power (1)
| No. | No. | Name (Birth–Death) Home province | Term of office Electoral mandates Time in office | Term of office Electoral mandates Time in office | Other ministerial offices held while president | Party (Alliance) | Government | Government |
| | 1 | William Gopallawa විලියම් ගොපල්ලව வில்லியம் கோபள்ளவா (1896–1981) Central | 22 May 1972 | 4 February 1978 | | Independent | Sirimavo Bandaranaike II | 10th |
| | 2 | Junius Richard Jayewardene ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா (1906–1996) Western | 4 February 1978 | 2 January 1989 | Minister of Defence Minister of Planning & Economic Affairs Minister of Plan Implementation Minister of Higher Education | United National Party | Jayewardene | 11th 12th |
| | 3 | Sri Lankabhimanya Ranasinghe Premadasa රණසිංහ ප්‍රේමදාස ரணசிங்க பிரேமதாசா (1924–1993) Western | 2 January 1989 | 1 May 1993† | Minister of Defence Minister of Buddha Sasana Minister of Policy Planning & Implementation | United National Party | Premadasa | 13th |
| | 4 | Sri Lankabhimanya Dingiri Banda Wijetunga ඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංග டிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க (1916–2008) Central | 1 May 1993 | 7 May 1993 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance Minister of Buddhist Affairs | United National Party | Wijetunga I | 13th |
| | 4 | Sri Lankabhimanya Dingiri Banda Wijetunga ඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංග டிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க (1916–2008) Central | 7 May 1993 | 12 November 1994 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance Minister of Buddhist Affairs | United National Party | Wijetunga I | 13th |
| | 4 | Sri Lankabhimanya Dingiri Banda Wijetunga ඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංග டிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க (1916–2008) Central | 1993 | 1993 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance Minister of Buddhist Affairs | United National Party | Wijetunga II | 14th |
| | 5 | Chandrika Kumaratunga චන්ද්‍රිකා කුමාරතුංග சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா (born 1945) Western | 12 November 1994 | 19 November 2005 | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (PA) | Kumaratunga | 14th 15th |
| | 5 | Chandrika Kumaratunga චන්ද්‍රිකා කුමාරතුංග சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா (born 1945) Western | 1994, 1999 | 1994, 1999 | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (PA) | Kumaratunga | 16th |
| | 5 | Chandrika Kumaratunga චන්ද්‍රිකා කුමාරතුංග சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா (born 1945) Western | 11 years and 7 days | 11 years and 7 days | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (PA) | Kumaratunga | 17th |
| | 6 | Mahinda Rajapaksa මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1945) Southern | 19 November 2005 | 9 January 2015 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance Minister of Law & Order Minister of Highways, Ports & Shipping | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (UPFA) | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 17th 18th |
| | 7 | Maithripala Sirisena මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன (born 1951) North Central | 9 January 2015 | 18 November 2019 | Minister of Defence Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Sirisena I | 18th |
| | 7 | Maithripala Sirisena මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன (born 1951) North Central | 2015 | 2015 | Minister of Defence Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Sirisena II | 19th |
| | 7 | Maithripala Sirisena මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன (born 1951) North Central | 4 years, 10 months and 9 days | 4 years, 10 months and 9 days | Minister of Defence Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Sirisena IV | 19th |
| | 8 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1949) Southern | 18 November 2019 | 14 July 2022 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPFA) | Rajapaksa I | 19th |
| | 8 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1949) Southern | 2019 | 2019 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPFA) | Rajapaksa II | 20th |
| | 8 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1949) Southern | 2019 | 2019 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPFA) | Rajapaksa III | 20th |
| | 8 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1949) Southern | 2 years, 7 months and 26 days | 2 years, 7 months and 26 days | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPFA) | Rajapaksa IV | 20th |
| | 9 | Ranil Wickremesinghe රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க (born 1949) Western | 14 July 2022 | 20 July 2022 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology Minister of Finance Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment | United National Party | Wickremesinghe | 20th |
| | 9 | Ranil Wickremesinghe රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க (born 1949) Western | 20 July 2022 | 23 September 2024 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology Minister of Finance Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment | United National Party | Wickremesinghe | 20th |
| | 10 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க (born 1968) Western | 23 September 2024 | Incumbent | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (NPP) | Dissanayake I | 20th |
| | 10 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க (born 1968) Western | 2024 | 2024 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (NPP) | Dissanayake II | 21st |