List of Presidents of Brazil: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Brazil from 1974 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 Brazil, former presidents, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (in office since 2023). Lula won re-election on 25 October 2026; the new term is due to begin on 5 January 2027.

Presidents of Brazil in order, with years in office

Ernesto Geisel

Served: 1974–1979

Fourth military president of the 1964–1985 regime.

João Figueiredo

Served: 1979–1985

Last military president; left office as civilian rule returned in 1985.

José Sarney

Served: 1985–1990

First civilian president after the military regime; took office after president-elect Tancredo Neves died before his inauguration.

Fernando Collor de Mello

Served: 1990–1992

First directly elected president after the dictatorship; resigned in December 1992 during impeachment proceedings.

Itamar Franco

Served: 1992–1995

Vice president who succeeded Collor; the Real Plan was launched under him in 1994.

Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Served: 1995–2003

Introduced the Real Plan as finance minister and served two terms.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Served: 2003–2011, 2023–present

Former union leader who served two terms, then returned in 2023; he won a fourth term in the 25 October 2026 runoff with about 51.8% of the vote, and his new term is due to begin on 5 January 2027.

Dilma Rousseff

Served: 2011–2016

First woman president of Brazil; removed through impeachment in August 2016.

Michel Temer

Served: 2016–2019

Vice president who took over after Rousseff's impeachment.

Jair Bolsonaro

Served: 2019–2023

Former army captain who lost the 2022 election to Lula.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Brazil

Who is the current president of Brazil?

The current head of state of Brazil is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in office since 2023. Lula won re-election on 25 October 2026; the new term is due to begin on 5 January 2027.

Who were the previous presidents of Brazil?

The presidents and heads of state of Brazil listed on this page, in order, are: Ernesto Geisel, João Figueiredo, José Sarney, Fernando Collor de Mello, Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer, Jair Bolsonaro.

Sources: Wikipedia and government lists of presidents of Brazil; Reuters, AP and Superior Electoral Court reports on the 25 October 2026 runoff (checked Nov 2026). Shows the ten most recent presidents since 1974.. Last reviewed November 2026.

Presidents of other South America countries

Presidents of Chile · Presidents of Colombia · All South America presidents