These are the countries that are ruled by dictators today

The website “World Population Review” has carried out a study to create a list with the 52 countries that live under a dictatorial regime today

Although we believe that the majority of the world lives in a democracy , the reality is very different. According to ” The Economist ” about 37% of the world’s population is governed by an authoritarian regime . Some are known worldwide, as is the case of Venezuela , Yemen or North Korea , however there are many others that are not usually in the media spotlight even though their inhabitants suffer harsh repression by their rulers . For this reason it is important to know which countries are currently governed by dictators .

To answer this question, the ” World Population Review ” website has carried out a study, through graphs , tables and analysis , to create a list of countries that live under a dictatorial regime . However, first we must clarify what a dictatorship is.

What is a dictatorship?

Photograph of Fidel Castro in Havana

A dictatorship is a type of government in which a single person , in this case the dictator, or a party has absolute power and where the rights of the people are usually suppressed, sometimes to a great extent. Likewise, dictators are often backed (especially financially) by groups of people with great purchasing power .

In general, dictators come to power when a nation is facing major social problems , such as severe economic crises or unrest among the population. Furthermore, dictators often maintain their power by silencing any opposition to their decisions and directives. This is often done through questionable means, including intimidation , imprisonment (legal or otherwise), physical violence , or even murder .

While it is true that some dictators are much more strict and authoritarian than others, as a general rule, dictatorships tend to cause a loss of personal autonomy , quality of life, and political options for citizens. The negative effects include the collapse of social organizations and democratic institutions and the banning of other political parties. Also, when necessary, a dictator can replace or amend the constitution .of the nation to empower, enrich or benefit the dictator and his allies to a greater extent. A fitting example of this occurred in 2020 when Russian President Vladimir Putin and his party introduced amendments to the country’s constitution that changed term limits, allowing Putin to remain in power until 2036 . People living under a dictatorship are often persecuted for unethical reasons, including their religion , sexual orientation, or economic status . Dictators often employ illegal and/or immoral methods to maintain their power and control, including the use of the secret police ,indefinite arrests and concentration camps .

Dictators around the world

Photograph of Adolf Hitler, one of the most famous dictators in the world.

The first thing we need to know is that the leaders of dictatorships do not outwardly identify themselves as dictators when other people address them. In fact, most dictators adopt common designations such as “president” or “prime minister,” so they must be identified through their actions and policies rather than their title.

These are the dictators who currently rule some country in the world:

1. President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai of Afghanistan .
2. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria .
3. President João Lourenço of Angola .
4. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan .
5. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain .
6. Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh .
7. President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus .
8. Sultan Haji Waddaulah de Brunei .
9. President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi .
10. Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia .
11. President Paul Biya of Cameroon .
12. President Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic .
13. President Idriss Deby of Chad .
14. President Xi Jinping of China .
15. President Félix Tshilombo Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
16. President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo .
17. President Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba .
18. President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh of Djibouti .
19. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt .
20. President Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea
21. President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea .
22. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia .
23. President Albert-Bernard Bongo of Gabon .
24. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of Iran .
25. President Barham Salih of Iraq .
26. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan .
27. President Bounnhang Vorachith of Laos .
28. President Nouri Abusahmain of Libya .
29. President Min Aung Hlaing of Burma .
30. President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua .
31. President Kim Jong-un of North Korea .
32. Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al-Said of Oman .
33. Emir Tamin Al Thani of Qatar .
34. President Vladimir Putin of Russia .
35. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda .
36. King Abdullah Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia .
37. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia .
38. President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan .
39. President Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan of Sudan .
40. King Mswati III of Eswatini /Swaziland .
41. President Bashar al-Assad of Syria .
42. President Emomalii Rahmon of Tajikistan .
43. Chairman Losang Jamcan of Tibet .
44. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey .
45. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Turkmenistan .
46. President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda .
47. King Sheikh Khalifa Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates .
48. Presidente Shavkat Mirziyoyev de Uzbekistan .
49. President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela .
50. Presidente Nguyen Phu Trong de Vietnam .
51. President Brahim Ghali of Western Sahara .
52. President Abd Al-Hadi of Yemen .