Who's ruling, and how they got there
A running record of the world's dictators and the elected leaders edging toward authoritarian rule — updated as regimes fall, succeed, or tighten their grip.
Two of the year's biggest shifts happened within months of each other. In January 2026, US forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, an operation detailed in Wikipedia's account of the intervention, and installed vice president Delcy Rodríguez as interim president. Then in March, Iran's Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader following his father's assassination in a joint Israeli-US strike — the first hereditary transfer of power in the Islamic Republic's history. Meanwhile in Cameroon, 93-year-old Paul Biya began an eighth term as the world's oldest head of state, and parliament created a vice-presidential post for the first time since 1972 to manage what happens next.
The dictator list
Mojtaba Khamenei — Iran
Son of the assassinated Ali Khamenei, installed after a chaotic week-long succession fight involving the Assembly of Experts, the IRGC, and rival clerics.
Delcy Rodríguez — Venezuela
Sworn in two days after US forces captured Nicolás Maduro; her government's trajectory toward genuine transition or reconfigured authoritarianism remains contested.
Kim Jong Un — North Korea
Third-generation hereditary ruler of the Kim dynasty; no independent press or opposition permitted.
Vladimir Putin — Russia
Constitutional changes passed in 2020 reset term limits, clearing his path to remain in office until 2036.
Paul Biya — Cameroon
The world's oldest head of state at 93, now serving an eighth term after an election opposition groups say was rigged.
Alexander Lukashenko — Belarus
Long dubbed "Europe's last dictator," having jailed or exiled most credible opposition figures.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo — Equatorial Guinea
The world's longest-serving current president, having seized power from his uncle in a coup.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — Turkey
Cited by the V-Dem Institute and Freedom House for jailing political rivals and consolidating media control after a 2017 referendum expanded presidential powers.
Viktor Orbán — Hungary
Openly describes his own project as building an "illiberal democracy," a phrase drawn from his own 2014 speech, alongside judicial and media consolidation flagged by the EU.
Narendra Modi — India
The V-Dem Institute's 2024 report pointed to a substantial democratic decline and crackdowns on minority rights and civil society under his leadership.
Bashar al-Assad — Syria
Toppled by a rebel offensive in December 2024, ending over five decades of Assad family rule. Syria is now led by a transitional government under Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Xi Jinping — China
Abolished presidential term limits in 2018 and secured an unprecedented third term as party leader in 2022.
Daniel Ortega — Nicaragua
Rules alongside co-president wife Rosario Murillo, having jailed or exiled hundreds of opposition figures since 2018.
Isaias Afwerki — Eritrea
The country's only president since independence; no election has ever been held and its constitution remains unenforced.
Yoweri Museveni — Uganda
Removed term limits in 2005 and the presidential age cap in 2017 to keep contesting elections.
Emomali Rahmon — Tajikistan
Holds the official title "Leader of the Nation"; a 2016 referendum lowered the age limit widely seen as favoring his son's succession.
Serdar Berdimuhamedov — Turkmenistan
Succeeded his father in a managed transition; Turkmenistan remains one of the world's most closed states.
Ismail Omar Guelleh — Djibouti
Repeatedly pledged not to seek further terms, then amended the constitution to remove limits regardless.
Paul Kagame — Rwanda
Credited with ending the 1994 genocide, but wins elections by margins above 93% with almost no organized opposition.
Denis Sassou Nguesso — Republic of the Congo
Roughly four combined decades in power across two non-consecutive stints, the second won via civil war.
Ilham Aliyev — Azerbaijan
Succeeded his father as president and later named his wife vice president, formalizing family rule.
Min Aung Hlaing — Myanmar
Deposed Myanmar's elected government; the country is now engulfed in a multi-front civil war.
King Mswati III — Eswatini
Africa's last absolute monarch; political parties have been banned in the country since 1973.
Mohammed bin Salman — Saudi Arabia
Governs an absolute monarchy with no elected legislature, alongside a program of social liberalization.
Benjamin Netanyahu — Israel
Israel's longest-serving PM; a 2023 judicial overhaul attempt triggered the country's largest protest movement.
Nayib Bukele — El Salvador
Secured a court-approved term-limit workaround for re-election; governs under a continuously renewed state of emergency.
Aleksandar Vučić — Serbia
Cited by Freedom House for media capture; facing sustained protests since a deadly 2024 infrastructure collapse.
Donald Trump — United States
A contested inclusion — some scholars describe democratic backsliding, others strongly reject the framing. See profile for both sides.
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