☠️Worst Dictators in History
Ranking history's most notorious dictators highlights the catastrophic human cost of absolute power and totalitarian rule. Their regimes caused mass suffering and reshaped nations through fear and violence. Vote to order them by overall impact.
What counts: 'Best' ranks the dictator by estimated scale of deaths, duration of repression, and lasting damage to society; figures are approximate.
Mao Zedong▲ Rising
Mao led the Communist victory in China then imposed radical policies that triggered famine and chaos. His signature moment was the Great Leap Forward that caused the deadliest famine in history. He earns high ranking for policies that affected the world's largest population.
Est. Deaths (millions): 40 MReign Period: 1949-1976Primary Country: ChinaIdeology: MaoismImpact Rating: 9.8/10
added by IJRin 5 rankingsMao Zedong
28Adolf Hitler▲ Rising
Hitler rose through democratic elections then seized total control, launching World War II and the Holocaust that killed millions. His signature moment was the 1939 invasion of Poland that ignited global conflict and industrialized genocide. He earns the top spot for combining aggressive expansion with systematic extermination on an unmatched scale.
Est. Deaths (millions): 17 MReign Period: 1933-1945Primary Country: GermanyIdeology: NazismImpact Rating: 10/10
added by IJRin 5 rankingsAdolf Hitler
23Idi Amin▲ Rising
Amin seized Uganda in a coup and expelled Asians while ordering mass killings of opponents. His signature moment was the 1972 expulsion of 80,000 Asians. He earns a place for erratic brutality and economic destruction in a short time.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.3 MReign Period: 1971-1979Primary Country: UgandaIdeology: Military dictatorshipImpact Rating: 7.8/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsIdi Amin
14Joseph Stalin▲ Rising
Stalin consolidated power after Lenin and enforced brutal collectivization and purges across the Soviet Union. His signature moment was the 1930s Great Purge and engineered famines that killed millions. He ranks near the top for decades of internal terror and expansionist policies.
Est. Deaths (millions): 20 MReign Period: 1924-1953Primary Country: Soviet UnionIdeology: StalinismImpact Rating: 9.5/10
added by IJRin 5 rankingsJoseph Stalin
13Pol Pot seized Cambodia and emptied cities to create an agrarian utopia, killing or starving a quarter of the population. His signature moment was the 1975 evacuation of Phnom Penh. He stands out for the intensity of killing relative to small population size.
Est. Deaths (millions): 2 MReign Period: 1975-1979Primary Country: CambodiaIdeology: Khmer Rouge communismImpact Rating: 9.2/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsPol Pot
11Saddam ruled Iraq through fear, invading neighbors and using chemical weapons on his own people. His signature moment was the 1988 Halabja attack and the 1990 Kuwait invasion. He ranks high for repeated regional aggression and internal repression.
Est. Deaths (millions): 1 MReign Period: 1979-2003Primary Country: IraqIdeology: BaathismImpact Rating: 8.5/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsSaddam Hussein
10Assad inherited Syria's dictatorship and responded to protests with brutal civil war tactics. His signature moment was the 2011 crackdown that escalated into full conflict. He ranks for prolonged use of chemical weapons and mass displacement.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.5 MReign Period: 2000-presentPrimary Country: SyriaIdeology: BaathismImpact Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRin 2 rankingsBashar al-Assad
10Kim Il-sung▲ Rising
Kim established North Korea's hereditary dictatorship and launched the Korean War. His signature moment was the 1950 invasion of South Korea. He ranks for creating a closed totalitarian state that persists today.
Est. Deaths (millions): 1.5 MReign Period: 1948-1994Primary Country: North KoreaIdeology: JucheImpact Rating: 8.8/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsKim Il-sung
9Francisco Franco▲ Rising
Franco won the Spanish Civil War and maintained a repressive dictatorship for decades. His signature moment was the 1936 military uprising backed by Axis powers. He ranks for long-term suppression of regional identities and political opponents.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.4 MReign Period: 1939-1975Primary Country: SpainIdeology: FalangismImpact Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRin 4 rankingsFrancisco Franco
8Mugabe led Zimbabwe from liberation hero to authoritarian ruler who destroyed the economy through land seizures. His signature moment was the 2000s fast-track land reform. He ranks for turning a prosperous nation into a failed state.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.02 MReign Period: 1980-2017Primary Country: ZimbabweIdeology: Marxism-LeninismImpact Rating: 6.8/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsRobert Mugabe
6Augusto Pinochet▲ Rising
Pinochet overthrew Chile's elected government in a coup and imposed harsh economic reforms amid disappearances. His signature moment was the 1973 bombing of the presidential palace. He earns ranking for combining political repression with neoliberal restructuring.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.003 MReign Period: 1973-1990Primary Country: ChileIdeology: Military juntaImpact Rating: 7.2/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsAugusto Pinochet
5Tojo led Japan's military government into aggressive Pacific expansion during World War II. His signature moment was the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He ranks for enabling imperial conquest and war crimes.
Est. Deaths (millions): 3 MReign Period: 1941-1944Primary Country: JapanIdeology: MilitarismImpact Rating: 8/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsHideki Tojo
5Hoxha isolated Albania behind bunkers and secret police while enforcing strict Stalinist rule. His signature moment was the 1970s break with China that left the country alone. He ranks for extreme isolation and paranoia.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.05 MReign Period: 1944-1985Primary Country: AlbaniaIdeology: HoxhaismImpact Rating: 5.8/10
added by IJRin 2 rankingsEnver Hoxha
4Antonescu allied Romania with Nazi Germany and participated in the Holocaust. His signature moment was the 1941 Odessa massacre. He earns ranking for enabling Axis war crimes in Eastern Europe.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.3 MReign Period: 1940-1944Primary Country: RomaniaIdeology: Military fascismImpact Rating: 6.5/10
added by IJRIon Antonescu
3Ceaușescu turned Romania into a personal cult state with harsh austerity and secret police control. His signature moment was the 1980s systematization program that demolished villages. He earns ranking for extreme personality cult and economic ruin.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.05 MReign Period: 1965-1989Primary Country: RomaniaIdeology: National communismImpact Rating: 6.5/10
added by IJRNicolae Ceaușescu
2Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines and ruled through corruption and crony capitalism. His signature moment was the 1972 declaration of martial law. He ranks for prolonged authoritarian rule and economic plunder.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.01 MReign Period: 1965-1986Primary Country: PhilippinesIdeology: AuthoritarianismImpact Rating: 6/10
added by IJRFerdinand Marcos
1Trujillo dominated the Dominican Republic for decades through a personality cult and secret police. His signature moment was the 1937 Parsley Massacre of Haitians. He earns ranking for personal enrichment and border atrocities.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.05 MReign Period: 1930-1961Primary Country: Dominican RepublicIdeology: TrujillismImpact Rating: 6.2/10
added by IJRin 2 rankingsRafael Trujillo
1Gaddafi seized Libya in a coup and ruled with erratic policies and support for international terrorism. His signature moment was the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. He earns a spot for decades of repression and destabilizing neighbors.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.05 MReign Period: 1969-2011Primary Country: LibyaIdeology: JamahiriyaImpact Rating: 7/10
added by IJRin 3 rankingsMuammar Gaddafi
-1Milošević fueled ethnic nationalism that led to the Yugoslav wars and atrocities. His signature moment was the 1989 Kosovo speech that inflamed tensions. He earns ranking for igniting multiple Balkan conflicts.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.2 MReign Period: 1989-2000Primary Country: SerbiaIdeology: Serbian nationalismImpact Rating: 6.8/10
added by IJRSlobodan Milošević
-1Mengistu led Ethiopia's Derg regime through the Red Terror and engineered famine. His signature moment was the 1977-78 campaign of executions. He earns ranking for combining Marxist purges with mass starvation.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.5 MReign Period: 1977-1991Primary Country: EthiopiaIdeology: Marxism-LeninismImpact Rating: 7.2/10
added by IJRMengistu Haile Mariam
-3Yahya Khan▼ Falling
Khan ruled Pakistan and launched the 1971 war that led to Bangladesh's independence amid mass killings. His signature moment was Operation Searchlight in East Pakistan. He earns ranking for triggering civil war and genocide.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.3 MReign Period: 1969-1971Primary Country: PakistanIdeology: Military ruleImpact Rating: 6.8/10
added by IJRYahya Khan
-3Mobutu ruled Zaire through kleptocracy and one-party control for decades. His signature moment was the 1965 coup and subsequent nationalization of industries. He earns a place for plundering national wealth and fostering corruption.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.1 MReign Period: 1965-1997Primary Country: ZaireIdeology: AuthenticityImpact Rating: 6.2/10
added by IJRin 2 rankingsMobutu Sese Seko
-6Chávez transformed Venezuela into a socialist state with heavy repression of opposition. His signature moment was the 1999 constitutional rewrite that concentrated power. He earns ranking for laying groundwork for economic collapse.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.005 MReign Period: 1999-2013Primary Country: VenezuelaIdeology: ChavismoImpact Rating: 5.8/10
added by IJRHugo Chávez
-6Duvalier continued his father's brutal dictatorship in Haiti with secret police terror. His signature moment was the 1986 flight into exile after mass protests. He ranks for sustaining generational repression and poverty.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.03 MReign Period: 1971-1986Primary Country: HaitiIdeology: DuvalierismImpact Rating: 5.5/10
added by IJRJean-Claude Duvalier
-6Abacha seized Nigeria in a coup and ruled through corruption and executions. His signature moment was the 1995 hanging of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. He ranks for kleptocratic plunder of oil wealth.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.01 MReign Period: 1993-1998Primary Country: NigeriaIdeology: Military dictatorshipImpact Rating: 5.5/10
added by IJRSani Abacha
-6Videla led Argentina's military junta during the Dirty War of disappearances. His signature moment was the 1976 coup and subsequent state terrorism. He ranks for systematic targeting of civilians.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.03 MReign Period: 1976-1981Primary Country: ArgentinaIdeology: Military juntaImpact Rating: 6/10
added by IJRJorge Rafael Videla
-10Fulgencio Batista▼ Falling
Batista ruled Cuba through coups and corruption before being overthrown. His signature moment was the 1952 coup that ended democratic rule. He ranks for enabling organized crime and inequality.
Est. Deaths (millions): 0.02 MReign Period: 1952-1959Primary Country: CubaIdeology: AuthoritarianismImpact Rating: 5.2/10
added by IJRFulgencio Batista
-13
