| Post: | President |
| Body: | the Republic of Chad |
| Insignia: | Coat of arms of Chad.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 125px |
| Insigniacaption: | Coat of arms of Chad |
| Incumbent: | Mahamat Déby |
| Incumbentsince: | 20 April 2021 |
| Residence: | Presidential Palace, N'Djamena |
| Termlength: | 5 years, renewable once |
| Formation: | 23 April 1962 |
| Inaugural: | François Tombalbaye |
| Salary: | 800,000 FCFA / month |
| Website: | Presidency of Chad |
This is a list of heads of state of Chad since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day.
A total of six people have served as head of state of Chad (not counting two Interim Heads of State). Additionally, one person, Goukouni Oueddei, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.
The current head of state of Chad is Mahamat Déby, since 20 April 2021, when he took power in a military coup following the death of his father, President Idriss Déby. Mahamat Déby was President of the Transitional Military Council, a military junta, from 20 April 2021 until 10 October 2022, when he was sworn is as Transitional President of the Republic following a "national dialogue". On 6 May 2024, Déby won the presidential election and was proclaimed President four days later on 10 May.[1]
In 2018, the new Constitution of Chad reinstated two-term limits for the president. It also changed the length of the term from five years to six years.[2] However, in 2023, a constitutional referendum was held which changed the length of the term from six years back to five years and which also lowered the minimum age for the presidency from 40 down to 35.[3]
| Portrait | Name | Elected | Term of office | Political party | Prime minister(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | François Tombalbaye | 1962 1969 | 1960 | 1975 | Position not established | ||||
| – | Noël Milarew Odingar | — | 1975 | 1975 | Military | Position not established | |||
| 2 | Félix Malloum | — | 1975 | 1979 | Military | Habré | |||
| 3 | Goukouni Oueddei | — | 1979 | 1979 | Position vacant | ||||
| 4 | Lol Mahamat Choua | — | 1979 | 1979 | MPLT | Position vacant | |||
| Goukouni Oueddei | — | 1979 | 1982 | Ngardoum | |||||
| 5 | Hissène Habré | 1982 | 1990 | Ngardoum | |||||
| 6 | Idriss Déby | 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 | 1990 | 2021 | Military / MPS | Bawoyeu Yodoyman Moungar Koumakoye Djimasta Ouaido Yamassoum Kabadi Faki Yoadimnadji Younousmi Koumakoye Abbas Nadingar Dadnadji Deubet Padacké | |||
| 7 | Mahamat Déby | 2024 | 2021 | Incumbent | Military / MPS | Padacké Kebzabo Masra | |||
See main article: 2024 Chadian presidential election.