List of Presidents of Afghanistan: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Afghanistan from 1973 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of Afghanistan, former presidents, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of Afghanistan: Hibatullah Akhundzada (in office since 2021). Afghanistan has had no president since the Taliban took Kabul on 15 August 2021; the head of state is the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and the Islamic Emirate is not formally recognised by any other state. Vice president Amrullah Saleh claimed to be caretaker president in August 2021, but he does not control the government.

Presidents of Afghanistan in order, with years in office

Mohammad Daoud Khan

Served: 1973–1978

Cousin of the last king who overthrew the monarchy in 1973 and was killed in the April 1978 communist coup.

Abdul Qadir

Served: 1978

Led the Saur Revolution of April 1978 and headed the Revolutionary Council for a few days.

Nur Muhammad Taraki

Served: 1978–1979

Founder of the People's Democratic Party; he was killed in 1979.

Hafizullah Amin

Served: 1979

Took power in September 1979 and was killed during the Soviet invasion in December.

Babrak Karmal

Served: 1979–1986

Installed after the Soviet invasion.

Haji Mohammad Chamkani

Served: 1986–1987

Head of state for about a year during the Soviet occupation.

Mohammad Najibullah

Served: 1987–1992

Last communist president; he was killed by the Taliban in 1996.

Abdul Rahim Hatif

Served: 1992 (acting)

Acted as head of state in April 1992 as the government collapsed.

Sibghatullah Mojaddedi

Served: 1992

First president of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, in office for two months.

Burhanuddin Rabbani

Served: 1992–2001

President of the internationally recognised government, which lost Kabul to the Taliban in 1996; he was assassinated in 2011.

Mohammed Omar

Served: 1996–2001

Taliban leader and 'Commander of the Faithful' of the first Islamic Emirate; the government was not widely recognised.

Hamid Karzai

Served: 2001–2014

Led the interim administration from December 2001 and was elected president in 2004 and 2009.

Ashraf Ghani

Served: 2014–2021

Left the country as the Taliban entered Kabul on 15 August 2021.

Hibatullah Akhundzada

Served: 2021–present

Supreme leader of the Taliban since May 2016 and head of the Islamic Emirate since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Afghanistan

Who is the current president of Afghanistan?

The current head of state of Afghanistan is Hibatullah Akhundzada, in office since 2021. Afghanistan has had no president since the Taliban took Kabul on 15 August 2021; the head of state is the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and the Islamic Emirate is not formally recognised by any other state. Vice president Amrullah Saleh claimed to be caretaker president in August 2021, but he does not control the government.

Who were the previous presidents of Afghanistan?

The presidents and heads of state of Afghanistan listed on this page, in order, are: Mohammad Daoud Khan, Abdul Qadir, Nur Muhammad Taraki, Hafizullah Amin, Babrak Karmal, Haji Mohammad Chamkani, Mohammad Najibullah, Abdul Rahim Hatif, Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Mohammed Omar, Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Who was the first president of Afghanistan?

Mohammad Daoud Khan was the first president of Afghanistan, in office 1973–1978.

Sources: Wikipedia, List of heads of state of Afghanistan and Supreme Leader of Afghanistan; WorldAtlas presidents list; Reuters and ABC News reports on International Criminal Court warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, October 2026 (checked Nov 2026). Heads of state since the 1973 abolition of the monarchy; acting heads of state and the Taliban's first-period emir are labelled.. Last reviewed November 2026.

Presidents of other Asia countries