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The president of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the chief executive of Sri Lanka. The president is a dominant political figure in the country. The office was created in 1972, as more of a ceremonial position. It was empowered with executive powers by the 1978 Constitution introduced by J. R. Jayewardene.
| No. | Portrait | Name(Birth–Death)Home province | Term of officeElectoral mandatesTime in office | Other ministerial officesheld while president | Party(Alliance) | Government | Ref. | |||
| Non-Executive President (1972–1978) | ||||||||||
| 1 | | William Gopallawaවිලියම් ගොපල්ලවவில்லியம் கோபள்ளவா(1896–1981)Central | 22 May1972 | 4 February1978 | Independent | Sirimavo Bandaranaike II | 10th | |||
| — | ||||||||||
| 5 years, 8 months and 13 days | ||||||||||
| Served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon and the first non-executive president when Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. | ||||||||||
| Executive President of Sri Lanka (1978–present) | ||||||||||
| 2 | | Junius Richard Jayewardeneජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධනஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா(1906–1996)Western | 4 February1978 | 2 January1989 | Minister of DefenceMinister of Planning & Economic AffairsMinister of Plan ImplementationMinister of Higher Education | United National Party | Jayewardene | 11th12th | ||
| 1982 | ||||||||||
| 10 years, 11 months and 29 days | ||||||||||
| Introduced the executive presidency in 1978, and assumed the position of president of Sri Lanka. | ||||||||||
| 3 | | Sri LankabhimanyaRanasinghe Premadasaරණසිංහ ප්රේමදාසரணசிங்க பிரேமதாசா(1924–1993)Western | 2 January1989 | 1 May1993† | Minister of DefenceMinister of Buddha SasanaMinister of Policy Planning & Implementation | United National Party | Premadasa | 13th | ||
| 1988 | ||||||||||
| 4 years and 4 months | ||||||||||
| Assassinated during a May Day rally by an LTTE suicide bomber. | ||||||||||
| 4 | Sri LankabhimanyaDingiri Banda Wijetungaඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංගடிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க(1916–2008)Central | 1 May1993 | 7 May1993 | Minister of DefenceMinister of FinanceMinister of Buddhist Affairs | United National Party | Wijetunga I | 13th | |||
| 7 May1993 | 12 November1994 | |||||||||
| 1993 | Wijetunga II | 14th | ||||||||
| 1 year, 6 months and 10 days | ||||||||||
| Appointed as acting president following Premadasa's assassination. On 7 May 1993 he was elected by Parliament to the office of president under Article 40 of the Constitution. | ||||||||||
| 5 | | Chandrika Kumaratungaචන්ද්රිකා කුමාරතුංගசந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா(born 1945)Western | 12 November1994 | 19 November2005 | Minister of Defence (1999–2005)Minister of EducationDisaster rehabilitation leader (2004 tsunami) | Sri Lanka Freedom Party(PA) | Kumaratunga | 14th15th | ||
| 1994, 1999 | 16th | |||||||||
| 11 years and 7 days | 17th | |||||||||
| The first non-UNP president of the country. Victim of multiple assassination attempts by the LTTE, all of which were unsuccessful. | ||||||||||
| 6 | | Mahinda Rajapaksaමහින්ද රාජපක්ෂமஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ(born 1945)Southern | 19 November2005 | 9 January2015 | Minister of DefenceMinister of FinanceMinister of Law & OrderMinister of Highways, Ports & Shipping | Sri Lanka Freedom Party(UPFA) | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 17th18th | ||
| 2005, 2010 | ||||||||||
| 9 years, 1 month and 21 days | ||||||||||
| Ended the Sri Lankan civil war with the LTTE. 18th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. Failed to win reelection in 2015. | ||||||||||
| 7 | | Maithripala Sirisenaමෛත්රීපාල සිරිසේනமைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன(born 1951)North Central | 9 January 2015 | 18 November2019 | Minister of DefenceMinister of Mahaweli Development and Environment | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Sirisena I | 18th | ||
| 2015 | Sirisena II | 19th | ||||||||
| 4 years, 10 months and 9 days | Sirisena IV | |||||||||
| Defeated Rajapaksa in his unsuccessful bid for a third term. Ran as a candidate of the New Democratic Front with the backing of the UNP. 19th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. | ||||||||||
| 8 | | Gotabaya Rajapaksaගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂகோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ(born 1949)Southern | 18 November 2019 | 14 July 2022 | Minister of DefenceMinister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPFA) | Rajapaksa I | 19th | ||
| 2019 | Rajapaksa II | 20th | ||||||||
| Rajapaksa III | ||||||||||
| 2 years, 7 months and 26 days | Rajapaksa IV | |||||||||
| Appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. 20th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. Economic mismanagement led the country to an economic crisis, and a subsequent political crisis when he refused to resign in response to massive anti-government protests. Appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister in May 2022, following Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation. Resigned on 14 July, after fleeing the country the day before, designating Wickremesinghe as acting president. | ||||||||||
| 9 | | Ranil Wickremesingheරනිල් වික්රමසිංහரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க(born 1949)Western | 14 July2022 | 20 July2022 | Minister of DefenceMinister of TechnologyMinister of FinanceMinister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment | United National Party | Wickremesinghe | 20th | ||
| 20 July2022 | 23 September2024 | |||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||
| 2 years, 2 months and 9 days | ||||||||||
| Appointed as acting president following Rajapaksa's resignation. On 20 July 2022 he was elected by Parliament to the office of president under Article 40 of the Constitution. Failed to win reelection in 2024. | ||||||||||
| 10 | | Anura Kumara Dissanayakeඅනුර කුමාර දිසානායකஅநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க(born 1968)Western | 23 September2024 | Incumbent | Minister of DefenceMinister of Finance | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(NPP) | Dissanayake I | 20th | ||
| 2024 | Dissanayake II | 21st | ||||||||
| 1 year, 1 month and 13 days | ||||||||||
| Defeated Sajith Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe in a three-way contest. | ||||||||||