| Term | Incumbent | Affiliation | Notes |
| 21 May 1957 to 16 July 1958 | Moktar Ould Daddah, Vice President of the Government Council | UPM | |
| 16 July 1958 to 28 November 1958 | Moktar Ould Daddah, President of the Council of Government | |
| 28 November 1958 to 26 June 1959 | Moktar Ould Daddah, President of the Provisional Government | UPM/PRM/PPM | |
| 26 June 1959 to 20 August 1961 | Moktar Ould Daddah, Prime Minister | UPM/PRM/PPM | |
| 6 April 1979 to 27 May 1979 | Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Prime Minister | Mil | |
| 28 May 1979 to 31 May 1979 | Ahmed Salim Ould Sidi, acting Prime Minister | | |
| 31 May 1979 to 12 December 1980 | Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, Prime Minister | Mil | 1st Term |
| 12 December 1980 to 25 April 1981 | Sid Ahmed Ould Bneijara, Prime Minister | n-p | |
| 25 April 1981 to 8 March 1984 | Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, Prime Minister | Mil | 1st Term |
| 8 March 1984 to 12 December 1984 | Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, Prime Minister | Mil | 2nd Term |
| 12 December 1984 to 18 April 1992 | Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, Prime Minister | Mil | 2nd Term |
| 18 April 1992 to 2 January 1996 | Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, Prime Minister | PRDS | 1st Term |
| 2 January 1996 to 18 December 1997 | Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna, Prime Minister | PRDS | 1st Term |
| 18 December 1997 to 16 November 1998 | Mohamed Lemine Ould Guig, Prime Minister | PRDS | |
| 16 November 1998 to 6 July 2003 | Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna, Prime Minister | PRDS | 2nd Term |
| 6 July 2003 to 7 August 2005 | Sghair Ould M’Bareck, Prime Minister | PRDS | |
| 7 August 2005 to 20 April 2007 | Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, Prime Minister | PRDS | 2nd Term |
| 20 April 2007 to 6 May 2008 | Zeine Ould Zeidane, Prime Minister | none | |
| 6 May 2008 to 6 August 2008 | Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef, Prime Minister | ADIL | |
| 6 August 2008 to 14 August 2008 | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the High Council of State | Mil | |
| 14 August 2008 to present | Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf, Prime Minister | Ind. | |
