Top Ten Longest-Serving Current World Leaders

Monarch
Dictator

#
Leader
Country
Came to Power
Total years in power (2006)
current age
(2006)
1
King Rama IX
Thailand
1946
59
78
2
Queen Elizabeth II
United Kingdom
1952
53
80
3
President Fidel Castro
Cuba
1959
46
80
4
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Brunei
1967
38
60
5
President Omar Bongo
Gabon
1967
38
70
6
Colonel Momar Quaddafi
Libya
1969
36
64
7
Queen Margrethe II
Denmark
1972
33
64
8
King Carl Gustaf XVI
Sweden
1973
32
60
9
King Juan Carlos
Spain
1976
29
68
10
President Nguema Mbasogo
Equatorial Guinea
1979
27
64

Comparative Long-reigning World Leaders of the Past

Leader
Country
reign
Total years in power
Age at Death
Emperor Franz-Joseph
Austria-Hungary
1848 - 1916
67
86
Queen Victoria
United Kingdom
1837 - 1901
64
82
Emperor Hirohito
Japan
1926 - 1989
63
88
Prince Ranier II
Monaco
1949 - 2005
56
82
President Kim Il Sung
North Korea
1945 - 1994
49
82
King Victor Emanuel III
Italy
1900 - 1949
45
78
Emperor Haile Selassie
Ethiopia
1930 - 1974
44
83
King Tupou IV
Tonga
1965 - 2006
40
87
King Hassan II
Morocco
1961 - 1999
38
70
President Gnassingbe Eyadema
Togo
1967 - 2005
38
68
General Secretary Enver Hoxha
Albania
1948 - 1985
37
76
General Francisco Franco
Spain
1939 - 1975
36
83
President Alfredo Stroessner*
Paraguay
1954 - 1989
35
74

* did not die in office