1971 state leaders - Events of 1972 - 1973 state leaders - State leaders by year

Africa

• Algeria - Houari Boumédiènne, President of Algeria (1965-1978)
• Burundi
  • President - Michel Micombero, President of Burundi (1966-1976)
  • Prime Minister - Albin Nyamoya , Prime Minister of Burundi (1972-1973)
• Ethiopia
  • Monarch - Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1936), (1941-1974)
  • Prime Minister - Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1961-1974)
• Gabon - Albert-Bernard Bongo, President of Gabon (1967-present)
• Guinea
  • President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958-1984)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Position created
    2. Louis Lansana Beavogui , Prime Minister of Guinea (1972-1984)
• Kenya - Jomo Kenyatta, President of Kenya (1964-1978)
• Liberia - William R. Tolbert, Jr., President of Liberia (1971-1980)
• Rhodesia -
  • President - Clifford Walter Dupont, President of Rhodesia (1970-1975)
  • Prime Minister - Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (1965-1979)
• Rwanda - Grégoire Kayibanda, President of Rwanda (1961-1973)
• Uganda - Idi Amin, President of Uganda (1971-1979)
• Zambia - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • Monarch - Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan (1933-1973)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Abdul Zahir , Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1971-1972)
    2. Mohammad Musa Shafiq , Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1972-1973)
• Brunei - Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (1967–present)
• People's Republic of China
  • De facto Head of State -
    • Song Qingling, Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1968-1972)
    • Dong Biwu, Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1968-1975)
  • Premier - Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council (1949-1976)
  • Head of Communist Party - Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1935-1976)
• India -
  • President - Varahagiri Venkata Giri, President of India (1969-1974)
  • Prime Minister - Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (1966-1977)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Eisaku Sato, Prime Minister of Japan (1964-1972)
    2. Kakuei Tanaka, Prime Minister of Japan (1972-1974)
• South Korea -
  • President - Park Chunghee, President of the Republic of Korea (1963-1979)
  • Prime Minister - Kim Jong-pil, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1971-1975)
• Malaysia
  • Tuanku Al-Mutassimu Billahi Muhibbudin Sultan Abdul Halim Al-Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1970 - 1975)
  • Tun Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein, Prime Minister of Malaysia (1970-1976)
• Pakistan - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, President of Pakistan (1971-1973)
• Singapore -
  • President - Benjamin Sheares, President of Singapore (1971-1981)
  • Prime Minister - Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1990)
• Taiwan (Republic of China)
  • President - Chiang Kai-Shek, President of the Republic of China (1947-1975)
  • Premier -
    1. Yen Chia-kan, President of the Executive Yuan (1963-1972)
    2. Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Executive Yuan (1972-1978)

Australia and Oceania

• Australia
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth (1952-present)
  • Governor-General - Sir Paul Hasluck, Governor-General of Australia (1969-1974)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Sir William McMahon, Prime Minister of Australia (1971-1972)
    2. Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia (1972-1975)
• 'New Zealand
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (1952-present)
  • Governor-General -
    1. Sir Arthur Porritt, Governor-General of New Zealand (1967-7 February1972)
    2. Sir Denis Blundell, Prime Minister of New Zealand (7 February 1972-1977)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1960-7 February1972)
    2. Jack Marshall, Prime Minister of New Zealand (7 February 1972-8 December 1972)
    3. Norman Kirk, Prime Minister of New Zealand (8 December 1972-1974)

Europe

• Austria
  • President - Franz Jonas, Federal President (1965-1974)
  • Chancellor - Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (1970-1983)
• Belgium
  • Monarch - Baudouin I, King of the Belgians (1951-1993)
  • Prime Minister - Gaston Eyskens, Prime Minister of Belgium (1968-1973)
• Denmark
  • Monarch -
    1. Frederick IX, King of Denmark (1947-14 January 1972)
    2. Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (14 January 1972-present)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Jens Otto Krag, Prime Minister of Denmark (1971-5 October 1972)
    2. Anker Jørgensen, Prime Minister of Denmark (5 October 1972-1973)
• Finland
  • President - Urho Kekkonen (1956-1981)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Teuvo Aura (1970, 1971-1972)
    2. Rafael Paasio (1966-1968, 1972)
    3. Kalevi Sorsa (1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-1987)
• France -
  • President - Georges Pompidou, President of France (1969-1974)
  • Prime Minister - Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Prime Minister of France (1969-1973)
• Federal Republic of Germany -
  • President - Gustav Heinemann, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1969-1974)
  • Chancellor - Willy Brandt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1969-1974)
• German Democratic Republic -
  • Communist Party Leader - Erich Honecker, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1971-1989)
  • Head of State - Walter Ulbricht, Chairman of the Council of State (1960-1973)
  • Premier - Willi Stoph, Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1964-1973)
• Ireland -
  • President - Éamon de Valera, President of Ireland (1959-1973)
  • Prime Minister - Jack Lynch, Taoiseach (1966-1973)
• Italy
  • President - Giovanni Leone, President of Italy (1971-1978)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Emilio Colombo, Prime Minister of Italy (1970-1972)
    2. Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy (1972-1973)
• Poland
  • Communist Party Leader - Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party (1970-1980)
  • Head of State - Council of State, Chairman -
    1. Józef Cyrankiewicz (1970-1972)
    2. Henryk Jabłoński (1972-1985)
  • Premier - Piotr Jaroszewicz, President of the Council of Ministers (1970-1980)
• United Kingdom -
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952-present)
  • Prime Minister - Edward Heath, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1970-1974)
• Vatican City
  • Pope - Paul VI, Bishop of Rome (1963-1978)
  • Secretary of State - Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot , Cardinal Secretary of State (1969-1979)

Middle East

• Egypt
  • President - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt (1971-1981)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Mahmoud Fawzi, Prime Minister of Egypt (1971-1972)
    2. Aziz Sedki , Prime Minister of Egypt (1972-1973)
• Israel
  • President - Zalman Shazar, President of Israel (1963-1973)
  • Prime Minister - Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974)
• Oman - Qaboos Bin Said, Sultan of Oman (1970-)
• People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
  • President - Salim Ali Rubai, Chairman of the Presidential Council (1970-1978)
  • Prime Minister - Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1971-1986)
• Yemen Arab Republic
  • President - Abdul Rahman al-Iryani, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1967-1974)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Mohsin Ahmad al-Aini, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1971-1972)
    2. Kadhi Abdullah al-Hagri, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1972-1974)

North America and the Caribbean

• Canada
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1962-present)
  • Governor General - Roland Michener, Governor General of Canada (1967-1974)
  • Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979)
• Trinidad and Tobago
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Trinidad and Tobago (1962-1976)
  • Governor General -
    1. Solomon Hochoy , Governor General of Trinidad and Tobago (1962-1972)
    2. Ellis Clarke, Governor General of Trinidad and Tobago (1972-1976)
  • Prime Minister - Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (1956-1981)
• United States - Richard Nixon, President of the United States (1969-1974)

South America

• Brazil - Emílio Garrastazú Médici, President of Brazil (1969-1974)
• Paraguay - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
• Peru - Juan Velasco Alvarado, President of Peru (1968-1975)