Longest ruling dictators worldwide 1900-2023, by time in office

If Cameroon's President Paul Biya is to rule the country for another five years, he will become the longest ruling dictator in history in the 20th and 21st centuries. Biya holds extensive powers and has been accused of voter fraud to continue to stay in power in the West African country. Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro currently holds the record after being in office for 52 years.

What makes a dictator a dictator?

A leader of an authoritarian state is not automatically a dictator. A dictator is usually defined as someone who holds absolute power within a country or territory, but a leader who some see as a dictator can be be a just leader in the eyes of others. For instance, while some remember Fidel Castro first and foremost for his suppression of political opponents and human rights violations, other see the former Cuban President as a symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and a man who achieved almost universal access to health care and education for his inhabitants. Dictators vary in style and how they base their rule; some rely on a certain political or religious ideology, while others legitimize their power through their person. What unites this group of leaders is the almost total control of power within a state, as well as suppression of any political opposition.

Measuring democracy and authoritarianism

A range of rankings weighting different factors try to measure the level of democracy and freedom in the world. Freedom House's Freedom in the World is probably the most referred to, but the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) is also widely referred to as it includes more dimensions than Freedom House's. In 2021, Afghanistan was ranked as the least democratic country in the world by the EIU, while Norway ranked as the most democratic.