List of heads of state of Albania

This is a list of heads of state of Albania who have served since the Declaration of Independence of 1912.

Since the collapse of the communist regime in 1991, the head of state of Albania is the president of the republic (Albanian: Presidenti i Republikës). The president is indirectly elected to a five-year term and is limited to a maximum of two terms, as specified by the Constitution. As in most parliamentary systems, the president is now by-and-large a ceremonial office, with the prime minister de facto heading the executive branch.^[1]

Heads of state

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
1		Ismail Qemali (1844–1919)	28 November 1912	22 January 1914	1 year, 55 days	Chairman of the Provisional Government	Independent
2		Fejzi Alizoti (1874–1945)	22 January 1914	7 March 1914	44 days	Chairman of the Central Administration	Independent

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
—		Esad Toptani (1863–1920)	12 October 1913	12 February 1914	123 days	Chairman of the Opposition Council of the Elders of Central Albania	Independent

No.	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
3	Wilhelm I (1876–1945)	7 March 1914	3 September 1914	180 days	Prince of Albania	House of Wied-Neuwied
—	Mustafa Ndroqi (????–????)	23 September 1914	4 October 1914	11 days	Chairman of the First General Council	Independent
4	Esad Toptani (1863–1920)	5 October 1914	24 February 1916	1 year, 142 days	Chairman of the Provisional Government	Independent
Austro-Hungarian Command (23 January 1916 – 30 October 1918)
5	Turhan Përmeti (1839–1927)	28 December 1918	28 January 1920	1 year, 31 days	Chairman of the Provisional Government	Independent
—	Sulejman Delvina (1884–1933)	28 January 1920	30 January 1920	2 days	Chairman of the Provisional Government	Independent
High Council of Regency (30 January 1920 – 31 January 1925)
6	Fan Noli (1882–1965)	2 July 1924	24 December 1924	175 days	Head of state in place of the High Council	People's Party

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Title	Election	Affiliation
7		Ahmet Zogu (1895–1961)	31 January 1925	1 September 1928	3 years, 213 days	President of Albania	1925	Conservative Party

No.	Portrait	Name	Reign			Title	Affiliation
(7)		Zog I (1895–1961)	1 September 1928	7 April 1939	10 years, 218 days	King of the Albanians	House of Zogu

No.	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
―	Xhafer Ypi (1880–1940)	9 April 1939	12 April 1939	3 days	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee	Fascist Party
―	Shefqet Vërlaci (1877–1946)	12 April 1939	16 April 1939	4 days	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee	Fascist Party
9	Victor Emmanuel III (1869–1947)	16 April 1939	8 September 1943	4 years, 145 days	King of the Albanians	House of Savoy

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
10		Ibrahim Biçaku (1905–1977)	14 September 1943	20 October 1943	36 days	Chairman of the Provisional Executive Committee	Balli Kombëtar
11		Mehdi Frashëri (1872–1963)	20 October 1943	25 October 1944	1 year, 5 days	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee	Balli Kombëtar

No.	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
12	Omer Nishani (1887–1954)	26 May 1944	1 August 1953	9 years, 67 days	Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly of Albania	Communist Party renamed in 1948 to Party of Labour
13	Haxhi Lleshi (1913–1998)	1 August 1953	22 November 1982	29 years, 113 days	Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly of Albania	Party of Labour
14	Ramiz Alia (1925–2011)	22 November 1982	3 April 1992	9 years, 133 days	Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly of Albania	Party of Labour

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Title	Affiliation
―		Enver Hoxha (1908–1985)	20 October 1944	11 April 1985 †	40 years, 173 days	First Secretary of the Communist Party / Party of Labour of Albania	Communist Party renamed in 1948 to Party of Labour
―		Ramiz Alia (1925–2011)	13 April 1985	13 June 1991	6 years, 21 days	First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania	Party of Labour

No.	Name	Term of office			Title	Election	Affiliation
(14)	Ramiz Alia (1925–2011)	30 April 1991	3 April 1992	339 days	President of Albania	1991	Party of Labour
―	Kastriot Islami (born 1952)	3 April 1992	6 April 1992	3 days	Speaker of the Parliament	―	Socialist Party
―	Pjetër Arbnori (1935–2006)	6 April 1992	9 April 1992	3 days	Speaker of the Parliament	―	Democratic Party
15	Sali Berisha (born 1944)	9 April 1992	24 July 1997	5 years, 106 days	President of Albania	1992	Democratic Party
―	Skënder Gjinushi (born 1949)	24 July 1997		0 days	Speaker of the Parliament	―	Socialist Party
16	Rexhep Meidani (born 1944)	24 July 1997	24 July 2002	5 years	President of Albania	1997	Socialist Party
9	Alfred Moisiu (born 1929)	24 July 2002	24 July 2007	5 years	President of Albania	2002	Independent
17	Bamir Topi (born 1957)	24 July 2007	24 July 2012	5 years	President of Albania	2007	Democratic Party
18	Bujar Nishani (1966–2022)	24 July 2012	24 July 2017	5 years	President of Albania	2012	Democratic Party
19	Ilir Meta (born 1969)	24 July 2017	24 July 2022	5 years	President of Albania	2017	Socialist Movement for Integration
20	Bajram Begaj (born 1967)	24 July 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 124 days	President of Albania	2022	Independent

v t e Heads of state of Albania
Independent Albania (1912–14)	Provisional Government of Albania Kemal Alizoti*
Principality of Albania (1914–25)	Principality of Albania Wilhelm Toptani none (1916–18) Përmeti Delvina High Council of Regency Noli*
Albanian Republic (1925–28)	Albanian Republic Zogu‡
Albanian Kingdom (1928–39)	Albanian Kingdom Zog I§
Italian protectorate (1939–43)	Italian-occupied Albania Victor Emmanuel III
German occupation (1943–44)	German-occupied Albania Biçakçiu Frashëri
Communist Albania (1944–91)	People's Socialist Republic of Albania Nishani Lleshi Alia
Republic of Albania (since 1991)	Republic of Albania Alia Islami* Arbnori* Berisha Gjinushi* Meidani Moisiu Topi Nishani Meta Begaj
* Acting ‡ President § King