| Tenure | Incumbent | Affiliation | Notes |
| Ethiopian Empire |
| 1942 to 1 November 1957 | Makonnen Endelkachew, Prime Minister | n-p | |
| 27 November 1957 to 15 December 1960 | Abebe Aragai, Prime Minister | n-p | |
| 12 December 1960 to 15 December 1960 | Imru Haile Selassie, Prime Minister | n-p | In rebellion |
| 15 December 1960 to 17 April 1961 | Vacant | | |
| 17 April 1961 to 1 March 1974 | Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold, Prime Minister | n-p | |
| 1 March 1974 to 22 July 1974 | Endelkachew Makonnen, Prime Minister | n-p | |
| 3 August 1974 to 12 September 1974 | Mikael Imru, Prime Minister | n-p | |
| Government of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (Derg) |
| 12 September 1974 to 10 September 1987 | Post abolished | | |
| People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia |
| 10 September 1987 to 8 November 1989 | Fikre Selassie Wogderess, Prime Minister | EWP | |
| 8 November 1989 to 26 April 1991 | Hailu Yimenu, acting Prime Minister | EWP | |
| 26 April 1991 to 27 May 1991 | Tesfaye Dinka, acting Prime Minister | EWP | |
| Ethiopia (Ityop’iya) |
| 27 May 1991 to 6 June 1991 | Tesfaye Dinka, acting Prime Minister | EWP | |
| 6 June 1991 to 22 August 1995 | Tamirat Layne, acting Prime Minister | EPDM | |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Ityop’iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik) |
| 23 August 1995 to present | Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister | TPLF/EPRDF | |
