List of state leaders in 1972

1971 state leaders - Events of 1972 - 1973 state leaders - State leaders by year----

See also:
*List of religious leaders in 1972
*List of international organization leaders in 1972

Africa

* Algeria - Houari Boumédiènne, President of Algeria (1965-1978)
* Botswana - Seretse Khama, President of Botswana (1966-1980)
* Burundi
** President - Michel Micombero, President of Burundi (1966-1976)
** Prime Minister - Albin Nyamoya, Prime Minister of Burundi (1972-1973)
* Côte d'Ivoire - Félix Houphouët-Boigny, President of Côte d'Ivoire (1960-1993)
* Dahomey
** President -
**# Hubert Maga, President of Dahomey (1970-1972)
**# Justin Ahomadegbé, President of Dahomey (1972)
**# Mathieu Kérékou, President of Dahomey (1972-1991)
* Equatorial Guinea - Francisco Macías Nguema (name changed to Francisco Macías Nguema Biyogo on 14 July), President of Equatorial Guinea (1968-1979)
* Ethiopia
**Monarch - Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1936), (1941-1974)
** Prime Minister - Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1961-1974)
* Gabon - Albert-Bernard Bongo, President of Gabon (1967-present)
* The Gambia - Dawda Jawara, President of The Gambia (1970-1994)
* Guinea
**President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958-1984)
**Prime Minister -
**# "Position created"
**# Louis Lansana Beavogui, Prime Minister of Guinea (1972-1984)
* Kenya - Jomo Kenyatta, President of Kenya (1964-1978)
* Liberia - William R. Tolbert, Jr., President of Liberia (1971-1980)
* Malawi - Hastings Kamuzu Banda, President of Malawi (1966-1994)
* Mali - Moussa Traoré, President of Mali (1968-1991)
* Mauritania - Moktar Ould Daddah, President of Mauritania (1960-1978)
* Mauritius
** Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Mauritius (1968-1992)
** Governor-General -
**# Arthur Williams, Governor-General of Mauritius (1968-1972)
**# Abdul Rahman Muhammad Osman, Governor-General of Mauritius (1972-1977)
** Prime Minister - Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of Mauritius (1968-1982)
* Nigeria - Yakubu Gowon, President of Nigeria (1966-1975)
* Rhodesia -
**President - Clifford Dupont, President of Rhodesia (1970-1975)
**Prime Minister - Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (1965-1979)
* Rwanda - Grégoire Kayibanda, President of Rwanda (1961-1973)
* Senegal
** President - Léopold Sédar Senghor, President of Senegal (1960-1980)
** Prime Minister - Abdou Diouf, Prime Minister of Senegal (1970-1980)
* Somalia - Muhammad Siad Barre, President of Somalia (1969-1991)
* Swaziland
** Monarch - Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland (1968-1982)
** Prime Minister - Prince Makhosini Dlamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland (1968-1976)
* Togo - Étienne Eyadéma, President of Togo (1967-2005)
* Uganda - Idi Amin, President of Uganda (1971-1979)
* Upper Volta
**President - Sangoulé Lamizana, President of Upper Volta (1966-1980)
**Prime Minister - Gérard Kango Ouedraogo, Prime Minister of Upper Volta (1971-1974)
* Zambia - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)

Asia

* Afghanistan
** Monarch - Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan (1933-1973)
**Prime Minister -
**#Abdul Zahir, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1971-1972)
**#Mohammad Musa Shafiq, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1972-1973)
* Bangladesh -
**President -
**#Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, President of Bangladesh (1971–1972)
**#Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, President of Bangladesh (1972–1973)
**Prime Minister -
**#Tajuddin Ahmad, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1971-1972)
**#Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1972-1975)
* Brunei - Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (1967–present)
* People's Republic of China
** "De facto" Head of State -
***Song Qingling, Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1968-1972)
***Dong Biwu, Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1968-1975)
** Premier - Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council (1949-1976)
** Head of Communist Party - Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1935-1976)
* India -
**President - Varahagiri Venkata Giri, President of India (1969-1974)
**Prime Minister - Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (1966-1977)
*Indonesia - Haji Mohammad Suharto, President of Indonesia (1967–1998)
*Japan
**Monarch - Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
**Prime Minister -
**#Eisaku Sato, Prime Minister of Japan (1964-1972)
**#Kakuei Tanaka, Prime Minister of Japan (1972-1974)
* South Korea -
**President - Park Chunghee, President of the Republic of Korea (1963-1979)
**Prime Minister - Kim Jong-pil, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1971-1975)
* Malaysia
**Tuanku Al-Mutassimu Billahi Muhibbudin Sultan Abdul Halim Al-Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1970 - 1975)
**Tun Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein, Prime Minister of Malaysia (1970-1976)
* Pakistan - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, President of Pakistan (1971-1973)
* Singapore -
**President - Benjamin Sheares, President of Singapore (1971-1981)
**Prime Minister - Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1990)
* Taiwan (Republic of China)
** President - Chiang Kai-Shek, President of the Republic of China (1947-1975)
** Premier -
**# Yen Chia-kan, President of the Executive Yuan (1963-1972)
**# Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Executive Yuan (1972-1978)
*Thailand -
** King - Rama IX, King of Thailand (1946-present)
** Prime Minister - Thanom Kittikachorn, Prime Minister of Thailand (1963-1973)

Australia and Oceania

*Australia
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth (1952-present)
**Governor-General - Sir Paul Hasluck, Governor-General of Australia (1969-1974)
**Prime Minister -
**# Sir William McMahon, Prime Minister of Australia (1971-1972)
**# Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia (1972-1975)
*Nauru - Hammer DeRoburt, President of Nauru (1968-1976)
*'New Zealand
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (1952-present)
**Governor-General -
**#Sir Arthur Porritt, Governor-General of New Zealand (1967-7 February1972)
**#Sir Denis Blundell, Governor-General of New Zealand (7 February 1972-1977)
**Prime Minister -
**#Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1960-7 February1972)
**#Jack Marshall, Prime Minister of New Zealand (7 February 1972-8 December 1972)
**#Norman Kirk, Prime Minister of New Zealand (8 December 1972-1974)
* Tonga
** Monarch - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, King of Tonga (1965 – 2006)
** Prime Minister - Tu'i Pelehake (Fatafehi), Prime Minister of Tonga, (1965 – 1991)

Europe

* Andorra
**Co-Princes -
***Georges Pompidou, President of France (1969-1974)
***Joan Martí Alanis, Bishop of Urgell (1971-2003)
*Austria -
**President - Franz Jonas, President of Austria (1965–1974)
**Chancellor - Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (1970–1983)
* Belgium
** Monarch - Baldwin I, King of the Belgians (1951-1993)
** Prime Minister - Gaston Eyskens, Prime Minister of Belgium (1968-1973)
* Denmark
** Monarch -
**# Frederick IX, King of Denmark (1947-14 January 1972)
**# Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (14 January 1972-present)
** Prime Minister -
**# Jens Otto Krag, Prime Minister of Denmark (1971-5 October 1972)
**# Anker Jørgensen, Prime Minister of Denmark (5 October 1972-1973)
* Finland
** President - Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland (1956-1981)
** Prime Minister -
**# Teuvo Aura, Prime Minister of Finland (1970, 1971-1972)
**# Rafael Paasio, Prime Minister of Finland (1966-1968, 1972)
**# Kalevi Sorsa, Prime Minister of Finland (1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-1987)
* France -
**President - Georges Pompidou, President of France (1969-1974)
**Prime Minister - Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Prime Minister of France (1969-1973)
* Federal Republic of Germany -
**President - Gustav Heinemann, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1969-1974)
**Chancellor - Willy Brandt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1969-1974)
* German Democratic Republic -
**Communist Party Leader - Erich Honecker, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1971-1989)
**Head of State - Walter Ulbricht, Chairman of the Council of State (1960-1973)
**Premier - Willi Stoph, Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1964-1973)
* Ireland -
**President - Éamon de Valera, President of Ireland (1959-1973)
**Prime Minister - Jack Lynch, Taoiseach (1966-1973)
* Italy
**President - Giovanni Leone, President of the Italian Republic (1971-1978)
**Prime Minister -
**# Emilio Colombo, Prime Minister of Italy (1970-1972)
**# Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy (1972-1973)
* Liechtenstein
**Prince - Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1938-1989)
**Head of government - Alfred Hilbe, Head of Government (1970-1974)
* Luxembourg
**Monarch - Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1964-2000)
**Prime Minister - Pierre Werner, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1954-1974, 1979-1984)
* Monaco
**Monarch - Prince Rainer III, Prince of Monaco (1949-2005)
**Head of Government -
**#François-Didier Gregh, Minister of State of Monaco (1969-1972)
**#André Saint-Mleux, Minister of State of Monaco (1972-1981)
* Netherlands
**Monarch - Queen Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands (1948-1980)
**Prime Minister - Barend Biesheuvel, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1971-1973)
* Norway
**Monarch - Olav V of Norway, King of Norway (1957-1991)
**Prime Minister -
**#Trygve Martin Bratteli, Prime Minister of Norway (1971-18.oct. 1972), (1973-1976)
**#Lars Korvald, Prime Minister of Norway (18. oct. 1972-1973)
* Poland
**Communist Party Leader - Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party (1970-1980)
**Head of State - Council of State, Chairman -
**# Józef Cyrankiewicz (1970-1972)
**# Henryk Jabłoński (1972-1985)
**Premier - Piotr Jaroszewicz, President of the Council of Ministers (1970-1980)
* Portugal -
**President - Américo Thomaz, President of Portugal (1958-1974)
**Prime Minister - Marcello Caetano, President of the Council of Ministers (1968-1974)
* Spain
**Generalísimo - Francisco Franco, Head of the Spanish State and President of the Government (1939-1975), (1939-1973)
* Sweden
** Monarch - Gustav VI Adolf, King of Sweden (1950-1973)
** Prime Minister - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden (1969-1976)
* Switzerland
**Swiss Federal Council - Hans-Peter Tschudi, Roger Bonvin, Rudolf Gnägi, Nello Celio, Ernst Brugger, Pierre Graber, Kurt Furgler; members of the Swiss Federal Council
* Turkey
** President - Cevdet Sunay, President of Turkey (1966-1973)
** Prime Minister -
**# Nihat Erim, Prime Minister of Turkey (1971-1972)
**# Ferit Melen, Prime Minister of Turkey (1972-1973)
* United Kingdom -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952-present)
**Prime Minister - Edward Heath, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1970-1974)
*Vatican City
** Pope - Paul VI, Bishop of Rome (1963-1978)
** Secretary of State - Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot, Cardinal Secretary of State (1969-1979)

Middle East

* Egypt
**President - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt (1971-1981)
**Prime Minister -
**# Mahmoud Fawzi, Prime Minister of Egypt (1971-1972)
**# Aziz Sedki, Prime Minister of Egypt (1972-1973)
* Israel
**President - Zalman Shazar, President of Israel (1963-1973)
**Prime Minister - Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974)
* Oman - Qaboos Bin Said, Sultan of Oman (1970-)
* People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
** President - Salim Ali Rubai, Chairman of the Presidential Council (1970-1978)
** Prime Minister - Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1971-1986)
* Yemen Arab Republic
** President - Abdul Rahman al-Iryani, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1967-1974)
** Prime Minister -
**# Mohsin Ahmad al-Aini, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1971-1972)
**# Kadhi Abdullah al-Hagri, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1972-1974)

North America and the Caribbean

*Barbados -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados (1966–present)
**Governor-General - Arleigh Winston Scott, Governor-General of Barbados (1967–1976)
**Prime Minister - Errol Barrow, Prime Minister of Barbados (1966–1976)
*Canada
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1952-present)
**Governor General - Roland Michener, Governor General of Canada (1967-1974)
**Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979)
*Costa Rica - José Figueres Ferrer, President of Costa Rica (1970–1974)
* Cuba
** President - Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado, President of Cuba (1959-1976)
** Premier - Fidel Castro, Premier of Cuba (1959-1976)
*Dominican Republic - Joaquín Balaguer, President of the Dominican Republic (1966–1978)
* El Salvador
**President -
**# Fidel Sánchez Hernández, President of El Salvador (1967–1972)
**# Arturo Armando Molina, President of El Salvador (1972–1977)
*Trinidad and Tobago
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Trinidad and Tobago (1952-1976)
**Governor General -
**# Solomon Hochoy, Governor General of Trinidad and Tobago (1962-1972)
**# Ellis Clarke, Governor General of Trinidad and Tobago (1972-1976)
**Prime Minister - Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (1956-1981)
* United States - Richard Nixon, President of the United States (1969-1974)

outh America

* Brazil - Emílio Garrastazú Médici, President of Brazil (1969-1974)
* Chile - Salvador Allende, President (1970-1973)
* Paraguay - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
* Peru - Juan Velasco Alvarado, President of Peru (1968-1975)
*Uruguay -
*#Jorge Pacheco Areco, President of Uruguay (1967-1972)
*#Juan María Bordaberry, President of Uruguay (1972-1976)
*Venezuela - Rafael Caldera, President of Venezuela (1969-1974)