List of presidents of Indonesia facts for kids
The president of Indonesia is like the main leader of the Republic of Indonesia. They are both the head of state (the symbolic leader of the country) and the head of government (the one who runs the government day-to-day). The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government, which is the part that carries out laws. They are also the top commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, meaning they are in charge of the military.
Since 2004, the president and vice president are chosen by the people in a direct vote for a five-year term. The idea for a president was first discussed when the 1945 constitution was being written. This was done by a group called the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK). This group was set up by the Japanese army on March 1, 1945, to prepare Indonesia for independence. On August 18, 1945, another group, the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI), chose Sukarno as Indonesia's very first president.
Indonesia's Presidents
|
Independent Party of Functional Groups National Awakening Party Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle United Development Party Democratic Party Great Indonesia Movement Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Time in Office | Political Party | Vice President(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Ended | Election | Total Time | ||||||
| 1 | Sukarno (1901–1970) |
August 18, 1945 | March 12, 1967 | 1945 | 21 years, 206 days | Independent | 1 | Mohammad Hatta | |
| None (December 1, 1956 – March 12, 1967) | |||||||||
| Sukarno declared Indonesia's independence from colonial rule. He led the country during the Indonesian National Revolution and the first national elections. He was one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which meant countries didn't pick sides in the Cold War. He hosted the 1955 Bandung Conference. He introduced 'Guided Democracy' to bring stability after many governments failed. He also worked to bring Western New Guinea into Indonesia. He stepped down from power in 1967. | |||||||||
| During this time, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army Suharto was the acting president. | |||||||||
| 2 | Suharto (1921–2008) |
March 27, 1968 | March 23, 1973 | 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 |
30 years, 55 days | Party of Functional Groups | None | ||
| March 23, 1973 | March 11, 1978 | 2 | Hamengkubuwono IX | ||||||
| March 11, 1978 | March 11, 1983 | 3 | Adam Malik | ||||||
| March 11, 1983 | March 11, 1988 | 4 | Umar Wirahadikusumah | ||||||
| March 11, 1988 | March 11, 1993 | 5 | Sudharmono | ||||||
| March 11, 1993 | March 11, 1998 | 6 | Try Sutrisno | ||||||
| March 11, 1998 | May 21, 1998 | 7 | B. J. Habibie | ||||||
| Suharto was the first president with a military background and served for over 30 years. He led the country during a period called the New Order. He worked to improve Indonesia's economy and infrastructure. He also helped Indonesia become a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He annexed East Timor and brought Western New Guinea fully into Indonesia. He stepped down in 1998 during a time of economic difficulty and public protests. | |||||||||
| 3 | B. J. Habibie (1936–2019) |
May 21, 1998 | October 20, 1999 | — | 1 year, 152 days | Party of Functional Groups | None | ||
| Habibie was the first president born outside Java. He became president after Suharto resigned. He led Indonesia during its shift to a more democratic system. During his time, East Timor became independent from Indonesia. He also released many political prisoners. He decided not to run for a full term. | |||||||||
| 4 | Abdurrahman Wahid (1940–2009) |
October 20, 1999 | July 23, 2001 | 1999 | 1 year, 276 days | National Awakening Party | None (October 20–21, 1999) | ||
| 8 | Megawati Sukarnoputri | ||||||||
| Abdurrahman Wahid was the first president to come from a religious background. He was the head of a large Islamic organization called Nahdlatul Ulama. During his term, he faced some challenges and disagreements. He removed all remaining legal discrimination against Chinese Indonesians. He tried to make big changes but was removed from office by the parliament. | |||||||||
| 5 | Megawati Sukarnoputri (born 1947) |
July 23, 2001 | October 20, 2004 | — | 3 years, 89 days | Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle | None (July 23–26, 2001) | ||
| 9 | Hamzah Haz | ||||||||
| Megawati was the first female president of Indonesia. She was also the first president born after Indonesia declared independence in 1945. She is the daughter of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno. She became president after Abdurrahman Wahid was removed from office. During her time, Indonesia saw economic growth. She faced a terrible event with a major bombing in Bali in 2002. She lost the election when she tried to be re-elected. | |||||||||
| 6 | Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 1949) |
October 20, 2004 | October 20, 2009 | 2004 2009 |
10 years | Democratic Party | 10 | Jusuf Kalla | |
| October 20, 2009 | October 20, 2014 | 11 | Boediono | ||||||
| Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was the first president chosen directly by the people's vote. He was also the second president with a military background. During his presidency, parts of Sumatra were hit by a huge tsunami in 2004. He worked to make the country safer from extremist groups. Indonesia became a member of the G20 group of major economies during his time. He was elected for a second term in 2009. He led Indonesia through a period of steady economic growth. | |||||||||
| 7 | Joko Widodo (born 1961) |
October 20, 2014 | October 20, 2019 | 2014 2019 |
10 years | Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle | 12 (10) | Jusuf Kalla | |
| October 20, 2019 | October 20, 2024 | Ma'ruf Amin | |||||||
| 13 | |||||||||
| Joko Widodo is the first president who did not come from a powerful political family or was a general in the army. He was also the first president to have been a regional politician, serving as a mayor and then a governor. He started the plan to move Indonesia's capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara. He was elected for a second term in 2019. | |||||||||
| 8 | Prabowo Subianto (born 1951) |
October 20, 2024 | Incumbent | 2024 | 249 days | Great Indonesia Movement Party | 14 | Gibran Rakabuming Raka | |
| Prabowo Subianto is a retired general who used to lead special forces. He ran for president twice before and lost, but then became the Minister of Defense. He won the 2024 election with the most votes ever received by a candidate in Indonesia. He is the oldest president to be sworn in for a first term, at 73 years old. He is also the third president with a military background. | |||||||||
Presidents by Age
| # | President | Born | Age when started presidency |
Age when ended presidency |
Time after presidency |
Lifespan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | Age | ||||||
| 1 | Sukarno | 6 June 1901 | 44 years, 73 days 18 August 1945 |
65 years, 279 days 12 March 1967 |
3 years, 101 days | 21 June 1970 | 69 years, 15 days |
| 2 | Suharto | 8 June 1921 | 45 years, 277 days 12 March 1967 |
76 years, 347 days 21 May 1998 |
9 years, 251 days | 27 January 2008 | 86 years, 233 days |
| 3 | B. J. Habibie | 25 June 1936 | 61 years, 330 days 21 May 1998 |
63 years, 117 days 20 October 1999 |
19 years, 326 days | 11 September 2019 | 83 years, 78 days |
| 4 | Abdurrahman Wahid | 7 September 1940 | 59 years, 43 days 20 October 1999 |
60 years, 319 days 23 July 2001 |
8 years, 160 days | 30 December 2009 | 69 years, 114 days |
| 5 | Megawati Sukarnoputri | 23 January 1947 | 54 years, 181 days 23 July 2001 |
57 years, 271 days 20 October 2004 |
20 years, 249 days | (living) | 78 years, 154 days |
| 6 | Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | 9 September 1949 | 55 years, 41 days 20 October 2004 |
65 years, 41 days 20 October 2014 |
10 years, 249 days | (living) | 75 years, 290 days |
| 7 | Joko Widodo | 21 June 1961 | 53 years, 121 days 20 October 2014 |
63 years, 121 days 20 October 2024 |
249 days | (living) | 64 years, 5 days |
| 8 | Prabowo Subianto | 17 October 1951 | 73 years, 3 days 20 October 2024 |
(incumbent) | (incumbent) | (living) | 73 years, 252 days |
Time in Office
| Rank | President | Length in days |
Order of presidency | Number of terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suharto | 11,393 | 2nd • March 12, 1967 – May 21, 1998 | Six full terms; resigned into seventh term |
| 2 | Sukarno | 7,876 | 1st • August 18, 1945 – March 12, 1967 | Officially: Four full terms; removed into fifth term In practice: Never faced re-election, declared president for life in 1963 |
| 3 | Joko Widodo | 3,902 | 7th • October 20, 2014 – October 20, 2024 | Two full terms |
| 4 | Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | 3,652 | 6th • October 20, 2004 – October 20, 2014 | Two full terms |
| 5 | Megawati Sukarnoputri | 1,185 | 5th • July 23, 2001 – October 20, 2004 | One partial term |
| 6 | Abdurrahman Wahid | 642 | 4th • October 20, 1999 – July 23, 2001 | One partial term |
| 7 | B. J. Habibie | 517 | 3rd • May 21, 1998 – October 20, 1999 | One partial term |
| Acting | Assaat | 231 | December 27, 1949 – August 15, 1950 | State-level president |
| Acting | Sjafruddin Prawiranegara | 203 | December 22, 1948 – July 13, 1949 | Acting president |
| 8 | Prabowo Subianto | 249 | 8th • October 20, 2024 – Incumbent | Currently serving first term |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Indonesia para niños
- Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies
- List of governors of the Dutch East Indies
- President of Indonesia
- Vice President of Indonesia
- Prime Minister of Indonesia
- First ladies and gentlemen of Indonesia
- Second spouses of Indonesia
- List of acting presidents of Indonesia
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of presidents of Indonesia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.