Written by 
Charted: All U.S., Russian, and Chinese Leaders Since 1975
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
This graphic tracks America’s, Russia’s, and China’s government leaders since 1975 using data from Britannica.
Only one of these countries is a functioning democracy—though all three hold some form of elections. Thus, this graphic is not a comparison but serves as a look back through history.
Regime Changes in America, Russia, And China
Since 1975, the U.S. has had nine presidents. In that same time, Russia has had eight leaders, and China six.
| Year | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 🇷🇺 Russia / Societ Union Pre-1991 | 🇨🇳 China |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Donald Trump | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2024 | Joe Biden | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2023 | Joe Biden | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2022 | Joe Biden | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2021 | Joe Biden | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2020 | Donald Trump | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2019 | Donald Trump | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2018 | Donald Trump | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2017 | Donald Trump | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2016 | Barack Obama | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2015 | Barack Obama | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2014 | Barack Obama | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2013 | Barack Obama | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | Vladimir Putin | Xi Jinping |
| 2011 | Barack Obama | Dmitry Medvedev | Hu Jintao |
| 2010 | Barack Obama | Dmitry Medvedev | Hu Jintao |
| 2009 | Barack Obama | Dmitry Medvedev | Hu Jintao |
| 2008 | George W. Bush | Dmitry Medvedev | Hu Jintao |
| 2007 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Hu Jintao |
| 2006 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Hu Jintao |
| 2005 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Hu Jintao |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Hu Jintao |
| 2003 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Hu Jintao |
| 2002 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Hu Jintao |
| 2001 | George W. Bush | Vladimir Putin | Jiang Zemin |
| 2000 | Bill Clinton | Vladimir Putin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1999 | Bill Clinton | Vladimir Putin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1998 | Bill Clinton | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1997 | Bill Clinton | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1995 | Bill Clinton | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1994 | Bill Clinton | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1993 | Bill Clinton | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1992 | George H. W. Bush | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1991 | George H. W. Bush | Boris Yeltsin | Jiang Zemin |
| 1990 | George H. W. Bush | Mikhail Gorbachev | Jiang Zemin |
| 1989 | George H. W. Bush | Mikhail Gorbachev | Jiang Zemin |
| 1988 | Ronald Reagan | Mikhail Gorbachev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1987 | Ronald Reagan | Mikhail Gorbachev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1986 | Ronald Reagan | Mikhail Gorbachev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1985 | Ronald Reagan | Mikhail Gorbachev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1984 | Ronald Reagan | Konstantin Chernenko | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1983 | Ronald Reagan | Yuri Andropov | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1982 | Ronald Reagan | Yuri Andropov | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1981 | Ronald Reagan | Leonid Brezhnev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1980 | Jimmy Carter | Leonid Brezhnev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1979 | Jimmy Carter | Leonid Brezhnev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1978 | Jimmy Carter | Leonid Brezhnev | Deng Xiaoping |
| 1977 | Jimmy Carter | Leonid Brezhnev | Hua Guofeng |
| 1976 | Gerald Ford | Leonid Brezhnev | Hua Guofeng |
| 1975 | Gerald Ford | Leonid Brezhnev | Mao Zedong |
From this graphic, we can see that POTUS has regularly shifted back and forth between the Democrat and Republican parties. For reference, U.S. presidents cannot serve for more than two elected terms.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the highest office became the president of Russia. The Russian president is elected by popular vote to a six-year term, with a term limit of two consecutive terms.
Amendments made in 2020 have exempted Vladimir Putin from being term-limited by excluding his previous terms.
Meanwhile, in China, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has functioned as the nation’s most powerful position since the late 1980s. Chosen through internal party processes, the General Secretary serves a five-year term with no limit on reelection. The individual holding this office also becomes China’s president (the head of state), a role once considered more ceremonial.
China’s current president is Xi Jinping who has held the position since 2013. He is serving his third term after constitutional changes in 2018 removed presidential term limits. Under his presidency, China has strengthened its global influence, economy, and centralized governance within the country.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
Political leaning affects perceptions of parts of the American economy. Check out Democrats vs Republicans: Opinions on U.S. Industries to see where they diverge.
