List of state leaders in 1881

This is a list of heads of state, government leaders, and other rulers in the year 1881.

Africa

• Ashanti Confederacy – Mensa Bonsu Kumaa, Asantehene (1874–1883)
• Kingdom of Burundi – Mwezi IV Gisabo (1852–1908)
• Kingdom of Dahomey – Glele (1856–1889)
• Ethiopian Empire – Yohannes IV (1871–1889)
• Liberia – Anthony W. Gardiner, President of Liberia (1878–1883)
• Sokoto Caliphate
  • Caliph -
    1. Mu'adh bin Bello (1877–1881)
    2. Umar bin Ali (1881–1891)
  • Grand Vizier - Abdullah bin Muhammad Fodiye (c.1874–1886)
• Wassoulou Empire – Samori Ture (1878–1898)
• Sultanate of Zanzibar – Barghash bin Said (1870–1888)

Asia

• Emirate of Afghanistan – Abdur Rahman Khan (1880–1901)
• China (Qing dynasty) - Guangxu Emperor (1875–1908)
• Empire of Japan – Monarch – Emperor Meiji (1867–1912)
• Joseon (Korea) – Gojong (1864–1907, Emperor after 1897)
• Sultanate of Oman – Turki bin Said (1871–1888)
• Persia (Qajar dynasty) – Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1848–1896)
• Đại Nam (Nguyễn dynasty) - Tự Đức, Emperor (1847–1883)

Europe

• Austria-Hungary – Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (1848–1916)
  • Minister-President of Austria - Count Eduard von Taaffe (1879–1893)
  • Minister-President of Hungary - Kálmán Tisza (1875–1890)
• Belgium
  • Monarch – Léopold II, King of the Belgians (1865–1909)
  • Cabinet Chief - Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt (1868–1870, 1878–1884)
• Principality of Bulgaria – Alexander I Joseph (1879–1886)
• Kingdom of Denmark
  • Monarch – Christian IX (1863–1906)
  • Prime Minister - Jacob Brønnum Scavenius Estrup (1875–1894)
• French Third Republic –
  • President - Jules Grévy (1879–1887)
  • President of the Council -
    1. Jules Ferry (1880–1881)
    2. Léon Gambetta (1881–1882)
• German Empire –
  • Monarch – Wilhelm I, Kaiser (1871–1888)
  • Chancellor - Otto von Bismarck (1871–1890)
  • see also List of German rulers in 1881
• Kingdom of Greece
  • Monarch – George I (1863–1913)
  • Prime Minister – Alexandros Koumoundouros (1880–1882)
• Kingdom of Italy
  • Monarch – Umberto I (1878–1900)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Benedetto Cairoli (1879–1881)
    2. Agostino Depretis (1881–1887)
• Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
  • Monarch – William III of the Netherlands (1849–1890)
  • Prime Minister - Félix de Blochausen (1874–1885)
• Netherlands -
  • Monarch – William III, King of the Netherlands (1849–1890)
  • Chairman of the Dutch Council of Ministers - Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg (1879–1883)
• Ottoman (Turkish) Empire – Abdulhamid II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1876–1909)
• Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves
  • Monarch – Luís I (1861–1889)
  • President of the Council of Ministers -
    1. Anselmo José Braamcamp (1879–1881)
    2. António Rodrigues Sampaio (1881)
    3. António Maria de Fontes Pereira de Melo (1881–1886)
• Russian Empire –
  1. Alexander II (1855–1881)
  2. Alexander III (1881–1894)
• Kingdom of Spain –
  • Monarch – Alfonso XII (1874–1885)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (1874–1875, 1875–1879, 1879–1881, 1884–1885, 1890–1892, 1895–1897)
    2. Práxedes Mateo Sagasta (1871–1872, 1874, 1881–1883, 1885–1890, 1892–1895, 1897–1899)
• Kingdom of Sweden – United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
  • Monarch – Oscar II (1872–1907)
  • Prime Minister - Arvid Posse (1880–1883)
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland –
  • Monarch – Victoria (1837–1901)
  • Prime Minister - William Ewart Gladstone (1868–1874, 1880–1885, 1886, 1892–1894)

North America and the Caribbean

• Canada -
  • Monarch – Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901)
  • Governor General - Marquess of Lorne (1878–1883)
  • Prime Minister - Sir John A. Macdonald (1878–1891)
• Costa Rica – Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez, President of Costa Rica (1877–1882)
• United States -
  1. Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States (1877–1881)
  2. James A. Garfield, President of the United States (1881)
  3. Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States (1881–1885)

Oceania

• Kingdom of Hawaii – Kalākaua (1874–1891)
• Niue – Tui-toga, King of Niue (1875–1887)
• Samoa – Malietoa Laupepa, Malietoa (1880–1898)
• Tonga –
  • Monarch – George Tupou I, King of Tonga (1845–1893)
  • Prime Minister - Shirley Waldemar Baker (1880–1890)

South America

• Argentina – Julio Argentino Roca, President of Argentina (1880–1886)
• Empire of Brazil –
  • Monarch – Pedro II (1831–1889)
  • President of the cabinet of ministers - José Antônio Saraiva (1880–1882)
• Uruguay –
• Uruguay – Francisco Antonino Vidal, President of Uruguay (1880–1882)