| Term | Incumbent | Affiliation | Notes |
| 28 November 1960 to 20 August 1961 | Moktar Ould Daddah, acting Head of State | PRM/PPM | |
| 20 August 1961 to 10 July 1978 | Moktar Ould Daddah, President | |
| 10 July 1978 to 20 March 1979 | Mustafa Ould Salek, Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery | Mil | |
| 20 March 1979 to 6 April 1979 | Mustafa Ould Salek, Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery | |
| 6 April 1979 to 3 June 1979 | Mustafa Ould Salek, Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation | Mil | |
| 3 June 1979 to 4 January 1980 | Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly, Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation | Mil | |
| 4 January 1980 to 12 December 1984 | Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation | Mil | |
| 12 December 1984 to 18 April 1992 | Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation | Mil | |
| 18 April 1992 to 3 August 2005 | Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, President | PRDS | |
| 3 August 2005 to 19 April 2007 | Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy | Mil | |
| 19 April 2007 to 6 August 2008 | Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, President | n-p | |
| 6 August 2008 to 15 April 2009 | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the High Council of State | Mil | 1st term |
| 15 April 2009 to 5 August 2009 | Ba Mamadou Mbaré, Acting President | n-p | |
| 5 August 2009 to present | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President | UPR | 2nd term |
