List of heads of state of Bulgaria

This is a list of the heads of the modern Bulgarian state, from the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria to the present day.

It also lists the general secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1948–1990. From 1948 onwards, the general secretary was the country's de facto chief executive.

Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)

Reign	House	Claim
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
	Alexander I Александър I 1857–1893 (Lived: 36 years)	29 April 1879	7 September 1886 (Abdicated)	7 years, 131 days	Battenberg	Elected by the First Grand National Assembly
	Ferdinand I Фердинанд I 1861–1948 (Lived: 87 years)	7 July 1887	5 October 1908	21 years, 90 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly

Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)

Reign	House	Claim
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
	Ferdinand I Фердинанд I 1861–1948 (Lived: 87 years)	5 October 1908	3 October 1918 (Abdicated)	9 years, 363 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Proclaimed himself as Tsar
	Boris III Борис III 1894–1943 (Lived: 49 years)	3 October 1918	28 August 1943 (Died)	24 years, 329 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Son of Ferdinand I
	Simeon II Симеон II Born 1937 (88 years old)	28 August 1943	15 September 1946 (Monarchy abolished)	3 years, 18 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Son of Boris III
	Kiril, Prince of Preslav Кирил, принц Преславски 1895–1945 (Lived: 49 years)	28 August 1943	9 September 1944 (Deposed)	1 year, 12 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	First Regency Council For Simeon II
	Bogdan Filov Богдан Филов 1883–1945 (Lived: 61 years)	—
	Lt. General Nikola Mihov Никола Михов 1891–1945 (Lived: 53 years)
	Todor Pavlov Тодор Павлов 1890–1977 (Lived: 87 years)	9 September 1944	15 September 1946 (Monarchy abolished)	2 years, 6 days	—	Second Regency Council For Simeon II
	Venelin Ganev Венелин Ганев 1880–1966 (Lived: 86 years)
	Tsvetko Boboshevski Цвятко Бобошевски 1884–1952 (Lived: 68 years)

People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)

Status

Head of State	Term of office	Duration	Political party
	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Took office	Left office
Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
		Vasil Kolarov Васил Коларов 1877–1950 (Lived: 72 years)	—	15 September 1946	9 December 1947	1 year, 85 days	BKP
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
		Mincho Neychev Минчо Нейчев 1887–1956 (Lived: 69 years)	—	9 December 1947	27 May 1950	2 years, 169 days	BKP
		Georgi Damyanov Георги Дамянов 1892–1958 (Lived: 66 years)	—	27 May 1950	27 November 1958†	8 years, 184 days	BKP
		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years)	—	27 November 1958	30 November 1958	3 days	BKP
		Nikolay Georgiev[bg] Николай Георгиев 1906–1987 (Lived: 81 years)	—	BZNS
		Dimitar Ganev Димитър Ганев 1898–1964 (Lived: 65 years)	—	30 November 1958	20 April 1964†	5 years, 142 days	BKP
		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years)	—	20 April 1964	23 April 1964	3 days	BKP
		Nikolay Georgiev[bg] Николай Георгиев 1906–1987 (Lived: 81 years)	—	BZNS
		Georgi Traykov Георги Трайков 1898–1975 (Lived: 76 years)	—	23 April 1964	7 July 1971	7 years, 75 days	BZNS
Chairman of the State Council
		Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years)	—	7 July 1971	17 November 1989	18 years, 133 days	BKP
		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	—	17 November 1989	3 April 1990	137 days	BKP
Chairman (President) of the Republic
		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	(Apr) 1990	3 April 1990	6 July 1990	94 days	BSP
		Stanko Todorov Станко Тодоров 1920–1996 (Lived: 76 years)	—	6 July 1990	17 July 1990	11 days	BSP
		Nikolai Todorov Николай Тодоров 1921–2003 (Lived: 82 years)	—	17 July 1990	1 August 1990	15 days	BSP
		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years)	(Jul–Aug) 1990	1 August 1990	15 November 1990	106 days	SDS

General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1948–1990)

Term of office	Notes
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Duration
	Georgi Dimitrov Георги Димитров 1882–1949 (Lived: 67 years)	27 December 1948	2 July 1949	187 days	Also Prime Minister (1946–1949)
	Valko Chervenkov Вълко Червенков 1900–1980 (Lived: 80 years)	2 July 1949	4 March 1954	4 years, 245 days	Also Prime Minister (1950–1956)
	Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years)	4 March 1954	10 November 1989	35 years, 251 days	Also Prime Minister (1962–1971), and Chairman of the Council of State (1971–1989)
	Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	10 November 1989	2 February 1990	84 days	Also Chairman of the Council of State (1989–1990)

Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)

President	Term of office	Duration	Political party
	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Took office	Left office
Chairman (President) of the Republic
		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years)	(Jul-Aug) 1990	15 November 1990	22 January 1992	1 year, 68 days	SDS
President of the Republic
		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years)	1992	22 January 1992	22 January 1997	5 years	SDS
		Petar Stoyanov Петър Стоянов Born 1952 (73 years old)	1996	22 January 1997	22 January 2002	5 years	SDS
		Georgi Parvanov Георги Първанов Born 1957 (68 years old)	2001 2006	22 January 2002	22 January 2012	10 years	BSP
		Rosen Plevneliev Росен Плевнелиев Born 1964 (61 years old)	2011	22 January 2012	22 January 2017	5 years	GERB
		Rumen Radev Румен Радев Born 1963 (62 years old)	2016 2021	22 January 2017	23 January 2026	9 years, 1 day	Independent (BSP–nominated)
		Iliana Iotova Илияна Йотова Born 1964 (61 years old)	—	23 January 2026	Incumbent	85 days	BSP

Timeline

Head of state titles

State	Years	Title
Principality of Bulgaria	1879–1908	Prince of Bulgaria
Tsardom of Bulgaria	1908–1946	Tsar of Bulgaria
People's Republic of Bulgaria	1946–1947	Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
1947–1971	Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
1971–1990	Chairman of the State Council
1990	Chairman (President) of the Republic
Republic of Bulgaria	1990–1992
1992–present	President of the Republic