1896 state leaders - Events of 1897 - 1898 state leaders - State leaders by year

Africa

• Ashanti Confederacy - Opoku Mensa , Chair of the Committee of Administration (1896-1900)
• Burundi - Mwezi IV Gisabo, King of Burundi (1852-1908)
• Zanzibar - Sayyid Hamud bin Muhammed Al-Busaid, Sultan of Zanzibar (1896-1902)

Asia

• Afghanistan - Abdur Rahman Khan, King of Afghanistan (1880-1901)
• China (Qing Dynasty) - Guangxu, Emperor of China (1875-1908)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Meiji Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1867-1912)
  • Prime Minister - Matsukata Masayoshi, Prime Minister of Japan (1896-1898)
• Korea - Gojong, King of the Joseon Dynasty (1864-1897); Emperor of the Korean Empire (1897-1907)
• Oman - Faisal bin Turki, Sultan of Oman (1888-1913)

Australia and Oceania

Europe

• Belgium - Leopold II, King of the Belgians (1865-1909)
• Bulgaria
  • Monarch - Ferdinand of Bulgaria, King of Bulgaria (1886-1918)
  • Prime Minister - Konstantin Stoilov (1894-1899)
• Denmark
  • Monarch - Christian IX, King of Denmark (1863-1906)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Kjeld Thor Tage Otto von Reedtz-Thott , Prime Minister of Denmark (1894-1897)
    2. Hugo Egmont Hørring , Prime Minister of Denmark (1897-1900)
• France -
  • President - Félix Faure, President of France (1895-1899)
  • Prime Minister - Jules Méline, President of the Council (1896-1898)
• Germany -
  • Monarch - Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1888-1918)
  • Chancellor - Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Chancellor of Germany (1894-1900)
• Italy
  • Monarch - Umberto I, King of Italy (1878-1900)
  • Prime Minister - Marchese di Rudinì , Prime Minister of Italy (1896-1898)
• Netherlands -
  • Monarch - Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands (1890-1948)
  • Regent - Emma, Regent (1890-1898)
• Portugal - Carlos, King of Portugal (1889-1908)
• Russia - Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia (1894-1917)
• Spain -
  • Monarch - Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (1886-1931)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Antonio Cánovas Del Castillo, Prime Minister of Spain (1895-1897)
    2. Marcelo Azcarraga Palmero , Acting Prime Minister of Spain (1897)
    3. Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, Prime Minister of Spain (1897-1899)
• Sweden - Kingdom of Sweden-Norway
  • Monarch - Oscar II, King of Sweden (1872-1907)
  • Prime Minister Gustaf Boström, Prime Minister of Sweden (1891-1900)
• United Kingdom -
  • Monarch - Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901)
  • Prime Minister - Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1885-1886, 1886-1892, 1895-1902)

North America and the Caribbean

• United States -
  1. Grover Cleveland, President of the United States (1893-1897)
  2. William McKinley, President of the United States (1897-1901)

South America

• Brazil -
  • Prudente José de Morais Barros, President of Brazil (1894-1898)
  • Manuel Vitorino Pereira , acting President of Brazil (1896-1897)