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)
• Liberia - William D. Coleman, President of Liberia (1896-1900)
• 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)

Europe

• Austria-Hungary - Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (1848-1916)
  • Minister-President of Austria -
  1. Count Kasimir Felix von Badeni, Minister-President of Austria (1895-1897)
  2. Baron Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn, Minister-President of Austria (1897-1898)
  • Minister-President of Hungary - Baron Dezső Bánffy, Minister-President of Hungary (1895-1899)
• Belgium
  • Monarch - Léopold II, King of the Belgians (1865-1909)
  • Cabinet Chief - Paul de Smet de Naeyer, Cabinet Chief of Belgium (1896-1899, 1899-1907)
• 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)
• German Empire -
  • Monarch - Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1888-1918)
  • Chancellor - Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Chancellor of Germany (1894-1900)
  • see also List of German rulers in 1897
• Italy
  • Monarch - Umberto I, King of Italy (1878-1900)
  • Prime Minister - Marchese di Rudinì, Prime Minister of Italy (1896-1898)
• Luxembourg
  • Monarch - Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1890-1905)
  • Prime Minister - Paul Eyschen, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1888-1915)
• Netherlands
  • Monarch - Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands (1890-1948)
  • Regent - Emma, Regent (1890-1898)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Joan Röell, Chairman of the Dutch council of ministers (1894-1897)
    2. Nicolaas Pierson, Chairman of the Dutch council of ministers (1897-1901)
• 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 - United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway -
  • Monarch - Oscar II, King of Sweden (1872-1907)
  • Prime Minister - Erik 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

• Costa Rica - Rafael Yglesias Castro, President of Costa Rica (1894–1902)
• United States -
  1. Grover Cleveland, President of the United States (1893-1897)
  2. William McKinley, President of the United States (1897-1901)
• Mexico - Porfirio Díaz, President of México (1884-1911)

Oceania

• New Zealand
  • Monarch - Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901)
  • Governor-General -
  1. The Earl of Glasgow, Governor-General of New Zealand (1892 - 1897)
  2. The Earl of Ranfurly, Governor-General of New Zealand (1897 - 1904)
  • Prime Minister - Richard Seddon, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1893 - 1906)
• Niue - Togia-Pulu-toaki, King of Niue (1896-?)
• Samoa - Malietoa Laupepa, Malietoa (1880-1898)
• Tonga
  • Monarch - George Tupou II, King of Tonga (1893 – 1918)
  • Prime Minister - Siosateki Veikune, Prime Minister of Tonga, (1893 – 1904)

South America

• Brazil -
  • Prudente José de Morais Barros, President of Brazil (1894-1898)
  • Manuel Vitorino Pereira, acting President of Brazil (1896-1897)
• Uruguay -
  1. Juan Idiarte Borda, President of Uruguay (1894-1897)
  2. Juan Lindolfo Cuestas, President of Uruguay (1897-1899)