Term in office |
President |
Country |
Lost election |
Winning successor |
Notes
|
1797–1801 |
John Adams |
United States |
1800 United States presidential election
|
Thomas Jefferson |
Adams placed third behind Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr. Jefferson narrowly won a contingent election in the U.S. House of Representatives.
|
1825–1829 |
John Quincy Adams |
United States |
1828 United States presidential election
|
Andrew Jackson |
Jackson previously won a plurality of the popular vote against Adams in the 1824 presidential election but lost a contingent election.
|
1837–1841 |
Martin Van Buren |
United States |
1840 United States presidential election
|
William Henry Harrison |
Van Buren also ran in the 1848 presidential election with the Free Soil Party.
|
1871–1873 |
Miguel García Granados |
Guatemala |
1873 Guatemalan general election
|
Justo Rufino Barrios |
García Granados was serving as acting president of Guatemala, however, he was defeated by Justo Rufino Barrios.
|
1885–1889 |
Grover Cleveland |
United States |
1888 United States presidential election
|
Benjamin Harrison |
Cleveland lost the 1888 presidential election, but won the 1892 United States presidential election.
|
1889–1893 |
Benjamin Harrison |
United States |
1892 United States presidential election
|
Grover Cleveland |
|
1909–1913 |
William Howard Taft |
United States |
1912 United States presidential election
|
Woodrow Wilson |
Taft also ran against former President Progressive Party . Taft came in third behind both Wilson and Roosevelt.
|
1929–1933 |
Herbert Hoover |
United States |
1932 United States presidential election
|
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
|
1931–1937 |
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
Finland |
1937 Finnish presidential election
|
Kyösti Kallio |
|
1944–1946 |
Sergio Osmeña |
Philippines |
1946 Philippine presidential election |
Manuel Roxas |
Then-Vice President Osmeña succeeded Manuel L. Quezon after the latter died on 1944. Osmeña lost his own right term to Manuel Roxas on 1946 Philippine presidential election.
|
1948–1953 |
Elpidio Quirino
|
Philippines |
1953 Philippine presidential election |
Ramon Magsaysay |
Then-Vice President Quirino succeeded Manuel Roxas on 1948.
Quirino won his own right on 1949 presidential election.
|
1948–1955 |
Luigi Einaudi |
Italy |
1955 Italian presidential election
|
Giovanni Gronchi |
|
1938–1950 |
İsmet İnönü |
Turkey |
1950 Turkish presidential election
|
Celal Bayar |
|
1955–1962 |
Giovanni Gronchi |
Italy |
1962 Italian presidential election
|
Antonio Segni |
|
1957–1961 |
Carlos P. Garcia |
Philippines |
1961 Philippine presidential election
|
Diosdado Macapagal |
Then-Vice President Garcia succeeded Ramon Magsaysay after the latter died in 1957. Garcia became president on his own right after winning the 1957 presidential election.
|
1960–1967 |
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar |
Somalia |
1967 Somali presidential election
|
Abdirashid Shermarke |
|
1961–1965 |
Diosdado Macapagal |
Philippines |
1965 Philippine presidential election
|
Ferdinand Marcos |
|
1964–1971 |
Giuseppe Saragat |
Italy |
1971 Italian presidential election
|
Giovanni Leone |
|
1974–1977 |
Gerald Ford |
United States |
1976 United States presidential election
|
Jimmy Carter |
Ford was the first incumbent president to lose a re-election bid since Herbert Hoover in 1932.[1]
|
1977–1981 |
Jimmy Carter |
United States |
1980 United States presidential election
|
Ronald Reagan |
Carter was the first incumbent president to lose a re-election bid since Gerald Ford in 1976.[2]
|
1974–1981 |
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing |
France |
1981 French presidential election
|
François Mitterrand |
|
1965–1986 |
Ferdinand Marcos |
Philippines |
1986 Philippine presidential election
|
Corazon Aquino |
The final results of the election led to the belief that the polls were tampered and considered an electoral fraud. These events eventually lead to the People Power Revolution.
|
1977–1988 |
Spyros Kyprianou |
Cyprus |
1988 Cypriot presidential election
|
George Vassiliou |
Then President of the House of Representatives succeeded Archbishop Makarios III after his death in 1977. Kyprianou became president on his own right after winning the 1977 presidential by-election unopposed. He lost re-election in the first round of voting in the 1988 Cypriot presidential election, placing third.[3]
|
1985–1990 |
Daniel Ortega |
Nicaragua |
1990 Nicaraguan general election
|
Violeta Chamorro |
Ortega later returned to power in the 2006 elections.
|
1972–1991 |
Mathieu Kérékou |
Benin |
1991 Beninese presidential election
|
Nicéphore Soglo |
|
1980–1991 |
Aristides Pereira |
Cape Verde |
1991 Cape Verdean presidential election
|
António Mascarenhas Monteiro |
|
1964–1991 |
Kenneth Kaunda |
Zambia |
1991 Zambian general election
|
Frederick Chiluba |
|
1977–1992 |
Denis Sassou-Nguesso |
Congo |
1992 Republic of the Congo presidential election
|
Pascal Lissouba |
|
1989–1993 |
George H. W. Bush |
United States |
1992 United States presidential election
|
Bill Clinton |
Some speculated that Ross Perot, the unsuccessful third candidate in the presidential race, cost Bush the election.[4]
|
1989–1992 |
Václav Havel |
Czechoslovakia |
1992 Czechoslovak presidential election
|
none due to the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia |
Havel later elected President of the Czech Republic.[5][6]
|
1975–1993 |
Didier Ratsiraka |
Madagascar |
1992–93 Malagasy presidential election
|
Albert Zafy |
Ratsiraka returned to power in 1996.[7]
|
1988–1993 |
George Vassiliou |
Cyprus |
1993 Cypriot presidential election
|
Glafcos Clerides |
|
1981–1993 |
André Kolingba |
Central African Republic |
1993 Central African general election
|
Ange-Félix Patassé |
|
1966–1994 |
Hastings Banda |
Malawi |
1994 Malawian general election
|
Bakili Muluzi |
|
1991–1994 |
Leonid Kravchuk |
Ukraine |
1994 Ukrainian presidential election
|
Leonid Kuchma |
|
1990–1995 |
Lech Wałęsa |
Poland |
1995 Polish presidential election
|
Aleksander Kwaśniewski |
Walesa also lost 2000 election.[8]
|
1989–1996 |
Ion Iliescu |
Romania |
1996 Romanian general election
|
Emil Constantinescu |
Iliescu returned to power in the 2000 election. Constantinescu did not run for reelection.
|
1991–1996 |
Nicéphore Soglo |
Benin |
1996 Beninese presidential election
|
Mathieu Kérékou |
|
1993–1996 |
Albert Zafy |
Madagascar |
1996 Malagasy presidential election
|
Didier Ratsiraka |
|
1990–1997 |
Mircea Snegur |
Moldova |
1996 Moldovan presidential election
|
Petru Lucinschi |
|
1990–1997 |
Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat |
Mongolia |
1997 Mongolian presidential election
|
Natsagiin Bagabandi |
|
1981–2000 |
Abdou Diouf |
Senegal |
2000 Senegalese presidential election
|
Abdoulaye Wade |
|
1996–2001 |
Didier Ratsiraka |
Madagascar |
2001 Malagasy presidential election
|
Marc Ravalomanana |
|
1996–2001 |
Petar Stoyanov |
Bulgaria |
2001 Bulgarian presidential election
|
Georgi Parvanov |
|
1996–2001 |
Lyudvig Chibirov |
South Ossetia |
2001 South Ossetian presidential election
|
Eduard Kokoity |
The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.
|
1998–2003 |
Valdas Adamkus |
Lithuania |
2002–2003 Lithuanian presidential election
|
Rolandas Paksas |
Returned to the office in 2004.
|
1993–2003 |
Glafcos Clerides |
Cyprus |
2003 Cypriot presidential election
|
Tassos Papadopoulos |
Lost reelection in the first round of voting.
|
2000–2004 |
Hipólito Mejía |
Dominican Republic |
2004 Dominican Republic presidential election
|
Leonel Fernández |
|
1999–2004 |
Rudolf Schuster |
Slovakia |
2004 Slovak presidential election
|
Ivan Gašparovič |
[9]
|
2001–2004 |
Megawati Sukarnoputri |
Indonesia |
2004 Indonesian presidential election
|
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono |
|
2001–2006 |
Arnold Rüütel |
Estonia |
2006 Estonian presidential election
|
Toomas Hendrik Ilves |
|
2003–2008 |
Tassos Papadopoulos |
Cyprus |
2008 Cypriot presidential election
|
Demetris Christofias |
Lost reelection in the first round of voting where he placed third.
|
2005–2009 |
Nambaryn Enkhbayar |
Mongolia |
2009 Mongolian presidential election
|
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj |
|
2002–2010 |
Dahir Riyale Kahin |
Somaliland |
2010 Somaliland presidential election
|
Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo |
The by the international community.
|
2005–2010 |
Viktor Yushchenko |
Ukraine |
2010 Ukrainian presidential election
|
Viktor Yanukovich |
[10]
|
2000–2011 |
Laurent Gbagbo |
Ivory Coast |
2010 Ivorian presidential election
|
Alassane Ouattara |
Gbagbo declared President by Constitutional Council despite recognition of Outtara by the international community, leading to the Second Ivorian Civil War
|
1991–2011 |
Igor Smirnov |
Transnistria |
2011 Transnistrian presidential election
|
Yevgeny Shevchuk |
The President of Transnistria is not recognized as an independent head of state by the international community.
|
2007–2011 |
Valdis Zatlers |
Latvia |
2011 Latvian presidential election
|
Andris Bērziņš |
|
2007–2012 |
José Ramos-Horta |
East Timor |
2012 East Timorese presidential election
|
Taur Matan Ruak
|
Won the 2022 East Timorese presidential election
|
2008–2011 |
Rupiah Banda |
Zambia |
2011 Zambian general election
|
Michael Sata |
|
2007–2012 |
Nicolas Sarkozy |
France |
2012 French presidential election
|
François Hollande |
Also ran in The Republicans primary .
|
2000–2012 |
Abdoulaye Wade |
Senegal |
2012 Senegalese presidential election
|
Macky Sall |
|
2004–2012 |
Boris Tadić |
Serbia |
2012 Serbian presidential election
|
Tomislav Nikolić |
|
2005–2015 |
Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Sri Lanka |
2015 Sri Lankan presidential election
|
Maithripala Sirisena |
Failed after running for an unprecedented third term after a constitutional amendment. Returned as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 2019 after his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president.
|
2007–2012 |
Danilo Türk |
Slovenia |
2012 Slovenian presidential election
|
Borut Pahor |
[11]
|
2012–2014 |
Joyce Banda |
Malawi |
2014 Malawian general election
|
Peter Mutharika |
|
2010–2015 |
Ivo Josipović |
Croatia |
2014–2015 Croatian presidential election
|
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović |
[12]
|
2010–2015 |
Goodluck Jonathan |
Nigeria |
2015 Nigerian presidential election
|
Muhammadu Buhari |
|
2010–2015 |
Bronisław Komorowski |
Poland |
2015 Polish presidential election
|
Andrzej Duda |
[13]
|
1994–2017 |
Yahya Jammeh |
The Gambia |
2016 Gambian presidential election
|
Adama Barrow |
Jammeh initially refused to step down, causing the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis and the ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia.
|
2012–2017 |
John Mahama |
Ghana |
2016 Ghanaian general election
|
Nana Akufo-Addo |
|
2011–2016 |
Manuel Pinto da Costa |
São Tomé and Príncipe |
2016 São Toméan presidential election
|
Evaristo Carvalho |
|
2011–2016 |
Yevgeny Shevchuk |
Transnistria |
2016 Transnistrian presidential election
|
Vadim Krasnoselsky |
The President of Transnistria is not recognized as an independent head of state by the international community.
|
2012–2017 |
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud |
Somalia |
2017 Somali presidential election
|
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed |
Won the 2022 Somali presidential election.
|
2012–2017 |
Leonid Tibilov |
South Ossetia |
2017 South Ossetian presidential election
|
Anatoly Bibilov |
The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.[14]
|
2014–2018 |
Hery Rajaonarimampianina |
Madagascar |
2018 Malagasy presidential election
|
Andry Rajoelina |
|
2014–2019 |
Petro Poroshenko |
Ukraine |
2019 Ukrainian presidential election
|
Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
[15]
|
2015–2019 |
Mauricio Macri |
Argentina |
2019 Argentine presidential election
|
Alberto Fernández |
|
2014–2020 |
José Mário Vaz |
Guinea-Bissau |
2019 Guinea-Bissau presidential election
|
Umaro Sissoco Embaló |
|
2015–2020 |
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović |
Croatia |
2019–2020 Croatian presidential election
|
Zoran Milanović |
[16]
|
2014–2020 |
Peter Mutharika |
Malawi |
2020 Malawian presidential election
|
Lazarus Chakwera |
|
2017–2021 |
Donald Trump |
United States |
2020 United States presidential election
|
Joe Biden |
Trump refused to concede, alleging fraud and filing and ultimately losing
|
2016–2020 |
Igor Dodon |
Moldova |
2020 Moldovan presidential election
|
Maia Sandu |
Dodon alleged multiple voting irregularities including the prevention of Transnistrians from voting and interference from foreign leaders but congratulated Sandu as a precaution. Sandu became the first female president of the country.[21][22]
|
2015–2021 |
Edgar Lungu |
Zambia |
2021 Zambian general election
|
Hakainde Hichilema |
|
2017–2022 |
Francisco Guterres |
East Timor |
2022 East Timorese presidential election
|
José Ramos-Horta |
|
2017–2022 |
Anatoly Bibilov |
South Ossetia |
2022 South Ossetian presidential election
|
Alan Gagloev |
The President of South Ossetia is only recognized as an independent head of state by some states.
|
2017–2022 |
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed |
Somalia |
2022 Somali presidential election
|
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud |
[23]
|
2019–2022 |
Jair Bolsonaro |
Brazil |
2022 Brazilian general election
|
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
|
2018–2022 |
Barham Salih |
Iraq |
2022 Iraqi presidential election
|
Abdul Latif Rashid |
|
2018–2023 |
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih |
Maldives |
2023 Maldivian presidential election
|
Mohamed Muizzu |
|
2018–2024 |
George Weah |
Liberia |
2023 Liberian general election
|
Joseph Boakai |
|
2019–2024 |
Stevo Pendarovski |
North Macedonia |
2024 North Macedonian presidential election
|
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova |
|