Haiti's Heads of State and Presidents (1804-2026)
Every person or council that has led the country since independence, and how each left power
This list has 77 entries: emperors, kings, presidents, provisional presidents, and collective governments. We flag provisional, collective, and disputed entries — we do not remove them, because they are part of the history. Look closely at the 'How it ended' column: overthrows and coups dominate the history, and only a handful of presidents completed their terms normally. Understanding that pattern is understanding why the August 30, 2026 elections matter.
| # | Name | Years | Title / Role | How it ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Jacques I) | 1804-1806 | Governor-General, then Emperor | Assassinated October 17, 1806 at Pont-Rouge |
| 2 | Henri Christophe (Henry I)North | 1807-1820 | President of the Northern State, then King (1811) | Died by suicide in 1820 |
| 3 | Alexandre PétionSouth | 1807-1818 | President of the Southern Republic; President for Life 1816 | Died in office |
| 4 | Jean-Pierre Boyer | 1818-1843 | President for Life; reunified the country in 1820 | Overthrown, went into exile |
| 5 | Charles Rivière-Hérard | 1843-1844 | President | Overthrown |
| 6 | Philippe Guerrier | 1844-1845 | President | Died in office |
| 7 | Jean-Louis Pierrot | 1845-1846 | President | Deposed |
| 8 | Jean-Baptiste Riché | 1846-1847 | President | Died in office |
| 9 | Faustin Soulouque (Faustin I) | 1847-1859 | President, then Emperor (1849) | Overthrown, went into exile |
| 10 | Fabre Geffrard | 1859-1867 | President | Overthrown |
| 11 | Nissage SagetProvisional | 1867 | Provisional president (Mar-May) | Transition |
| 12 | Sylvain Salnave | 1867-1869 | President | Overthrown; executed January 1870 |
| 13 | Nissage Saget | 1869-1874 | President | Completed his term — rare for the era |
| 14 | Konsèy Sekretè Deta yoCollective | 1874 | Collective government | Transition |
| 15 | Michel Domingue | 1874-1876 | President | Overthrown |
| 16 | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal | 1876-1879 | President | Resigned under pressure |
| 17 | Komite Lòd PiblikCollective | 1879 | Collective government (July) | Transition |
| 18 | Joseph LamotheProvisional | 1879 | Provisional president (Jul-Oct) | Transition |
| 19 | Florvil HyppoliteProvisional | 1879 | Provisional president (October) | Transition |
| 20 | Lysius Salomon | 1879-1888 | President | Forced out; died in exile |
| 21 | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-CanalProvisional | 1888 | Provisional president | Transition |
| 22 | François Denys Légitime | 1888-1889 | President | Overthrown |
| 23 | Monpoint JeuneProvisional | 1889 | Provisional president | Transition |
| 24 | Florvil Hyppolite | 1889-1896 | President | Died in office |
| 25 | Tirésias Simon Sam | 1896-1902 | President | Resigned |
| 26 | Pierre Théoma Boisrond-CanalProvisional | 1902 | Provisional president | Transition |
| 27 | Pierre Nord Alexis | 1902-1908 | President | Overthrown |
| 28 | Komisyon Lòd PiblikCollective | 1908 | Collective government (December) | Transition |
| 29 | François C. Antoine Simon | 1908-1911 | President | Overthrown |
| 30 | Cincinnatus Leconte | 1911-1912 | President | Died in the National Palace explosion |
| 31 | Tancrède Auguste | 1912-1913 | President | Died in office |
| 32 | Michel Oreste | 1913-1914 | President | Overthrown |
| 33 | Edmond PolyniceProvisionalDisputed | 1914 | Provisional president (twice in 1914) | Transition |
| 34 | Oreste Zamor | 1914 | President (Feb-Oct) | Overthrown |
| 35 | Joseph Davilmar Théodore | 1914-1915 | President | Resigned and fled |
| 36 | Vilbrun Guillaume Sam | 1915 | President (Mar-Jul) | Killed by a crowd; the American occupation began |
| 37 | Komite RevolisyonèCollective | 1915 | Collective government (Jul-Aug) | Transition |
| 38 | Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave | 1915-1922 | President (under occupation) | Completed his term |
| 39 | Louis Borno | 1922-1930 | President (under occupation) | Completed his term |
| 40 | Louis Eugène RoyProvisional | 1930 | Provisional president (May-Nov) | Transition |
| 41 | Sténio Vincent | 1930-1941 | President; occupation ended 1934 | Completed his term |
| 42 | Élie Lescot | 1941-1946 | President | Overthrown |
| 43 | Komite Egzekitif Militè (Franck Lavaud)Collective | 1946 | Collective military government | Transition |
| 44 | Dumarsais Estimé | 1946-1950 | President | Overthrown in a coup |
| 45 | Jent Gouvènman (Franck Lavaud)Collective | 1950 | Collective military government | Transition |
| 46 | Paul Magloire | 1950-1956 | President — first direct election | Forced to resign |
| 47 | Joseph Nemours Pierre-LouisProvisional | 1956-1957 | Provisional president | Transition |
| 48 | Franck SylvainProvisional | 1957 | Provisional president (Feb-Apr) | Transition |
| 49 | Léon CantaveProvisional | 1957 | Interim head of state (twice: April, May) | Transition |
| 50 | Konsèy Egzekitif GouvènmanCollective | 1957 | Collective government (Apr-May) | Transition |
| 51 | Daniel FignoléProvisional | 1957 | Provisional president (May-Jun) | Overthrown by the military after 19 days |
| 52 | Antonio Kébreau (Konsèy Militè)Collective | 1957 | Military Council chairman (Jun-Oct) | Handed over power after the election |
| 53 | François Duvalier (Papa Dòk) | 1957-1971 | President; President for Life (1964) | Died in office |
| 54 | Jean-Claude Duvalier (Bebe Dòk) | 1971-1986 | President for Life | Fled into exile February 7, 1986 |
| 55 | Henri Namphy (CNG)Collective | 1986-1988 | President of the National Council of Government | Handed over power after the 1988 election |
| 56 | Leslie Manigat | 1988 | President (Feb-Jun) | Overthrown in a coup |
| 57 | Henri Namphy | 1988 | President (Jun-Sep) | Overthrown in a coup |
| 58 | Prosper Avril | 1988-1990 | President | Forced to resign |
| 59 | Hérard AbrahamProvisional | 1990 | Interim president (3 days) | Handed power to a civilian |
| 60 | Ertha Pascal-TrouillotProvisional | 1990-1991 | Provisional president — first woman in the office | Handed power to the elected president |
| 61 | Jean-Bertrand Aristide | 1991 | President (Feb-Sep) | Overthrown in the September 30, 1991 coup |
| 62 | Raoul CédrasDisputed | 1991 | De facto leader of the military regime | The 1991-1994 military regime |
| 63 | Joseph NéretteProvisionalDisputed | 1991-1992 | Provisional president (military regime) | Transition |
| 64 | Marc BazinDisputed | 1992-1993 | De facto prime minister leading the government | Resigned |
| 65 | Émile JonassaintProvisionalDisputed | 1994 | Provisional president (military regime) | The regime fell when Aristide returned |
| 66 | Jean-Bertrand Aristide | 1994-1996 | President (restored to power) | Completed his term |
| 67 | René Préval | 1996-2001 | President | Completed his term |
| 68 | Jean-Bertrand Aristide | 2001-2004 | President | Overthrown/exiled February 29, 2004 |
| 69 | Boniface AlexandreProvisional | 2004-2006 | Provisional president | Handed over power after the 2006 election |
| 70 | René Préval | 2006-2011 | President | Completed his term |
| 71 | Michel Martelly | 2011-2016 | President | Term ended February 7, 2016 with no elected successor |
| 72 | Konsèy Minis yo (Evans Paul)Collective | 2016 | Interim government (Feb 7-14) | Transition |
| 73 | Jocelerme PrivertProvisional | 2016-2017 | Provisional president (Feb 14, 2016 - Feb 7, 2017) | Handed power to the elected president |
| 74 | Jovenel Moïse | 2017-2021 | President | Assassinated July 7, 2021 |
| 75 | Claude Joseph / Ariel HenryDisputed | 2021-2024 | Prime Ministers as de facto chief executive — no president | Henry resigned April 2024 |
| 76 | Konsèy Prezidansyèl Tranzisyon (CPT)Collective | 2024-2026 | Nine-member collective council (Apr 25, 2024 - Feb 7, 2026); four coordinators: Edgard Leblanc Fils, Leslie Voltaire, Fritz Alphonse Jean, Laurent Saint-Cyr | Mandate ended February 7, 2026; dissolved |
| 77 | Alix Didier Fils-AiméCurrent | 2026- | Acting Prime Minister, sole executive under the National Pact | In office — elections scheduled for August 30, 2026 |