- By Ridam Sharma
- Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Complete List of Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka upheld its independence on February 4th, 1948. However, the process of independence began with self-rule in 1947, which explains that Sri Lanka’s first Prime Minister was elected before its independence. Here is a full list of Sri Lankan Prime Ministers, from 1947 to 2025. The list showcases significant changes in the country’s political leadership since its independence. The list also includes each PM’s tenure, which is a reflection of the nation’s ever-evolving political past, like party dominance to milestones in government. The list of Prime Ministers also showcases Sri Lanka’s rich political history, through post-colonial development, economic evolution, along the nation’s societal change throughout these years.
Currently, Honorary Dr Harini Amarasuriya is the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Let’s take a look back at the complete list of Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, which is from 1947 to 2025, according to the official website of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Complete List Of Prime Ministers Of Sri Lanka (1947-2025):
| Parliament / Assembly | Duration | Prime Minister | Constituency | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Parliament (House of Representatives) | 1947–1952 | Rt Hon DS Senanayake | Mirigama | 24 Sep 1947 – 22 Mar 1952 | First Prime Minister of Sri Lanka |
| Hon Dudley Senanayake | Dedigama | 26 Mar 1952 | Appointed after the death of his father | ||
| Second Parliament (House of Representatives) | 1952–1956 | Hon Dudley Senanayake | Dedigama | 12 Oct 1953 | Continued in office after the election |
| Rt Hon Sir John Kotelawala | Dodangaslanda | 12 Oct 1953 – 12 Apr 1956 | Appointed after the resignation of Senanayake | ||
| Third Parliament (House of Representatives) | 1956–1959 | Hon SWRD Bandaranaike | Attanagalla | 12 Apr 1956 – 26 Sep 1959 | — |
| Hon Dr W Dahanayake | Galle | 26 Sep 1959 – 20 Mar 1960 | Appointed after the assassination of Bandaranaike | ||
| Fourth Parliament (House of Representatives) | Mar–Apr 1960 | Hon Dudley Senanayake | Dedigama | 21 Mar 1960 – 21 Jul 1960 | Govt defeated on 22 Apr 1960 |
| Fifth Parliament (House of Representatives) | 1960–1964 | Hon (Mrs) Sirima Bandaranaike | — / Senate | 21 Jul 1960 – 25 Mar 1965 | First woman PM; later defeated on 3 Dec 1964 |
| Sixth Parliament (House of Representatives) | 1965–1970 | Hon Dudley Senanayake | Dedigama | 25 Mar 1965 – 29 May 1970 | — |
| Seventh Parliament (House of Representatives) | 1970–1972 | Hon (Mrs) Sirima Bandaranaike | Attanagalla | 29 May 1970 – 22 May 1972 | — |
| First National State Assembly | 1972–1977 | Hon (Mrs) Sirima Bandaranaike | Attanagalla | 22 May 1972 – 23 Jul 1977 | — |
| Second National State Assembly | 1977–1978 | Hon JR Jayewardene | Colombo West | 23 Jul 1977 – 04 Feb 1978 | Became President |
| Hon R Premadasa | Colombo Central | 06 Feb 1978 – 07 Sep 1978 | Appointed after JR became President | ||
| First Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | 1978–1988 | Hon R Premadasa | Colombo Central | 07 Sep 1978 – 02 Jan 1989 | — |
| Second Parliament of the D.S.R. | 1989–1994 | Hon DB Wijetunga | Mahanuwara District | 06 Mar 1989 – 28 Mar 1990 / Reappointed 30 Mar 1990 – 07 May 1993 | — |
| Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe | Gampaha District | 07 May 1993 – 19 Aug 1994 | Appointed after Wijetunga became President | ||
| Third Parliament of the D.S.R. | 1994–2000 | Hon (Mrs) Chandrika B. Kumaratunge | Gampaha District | 19 Aug 1994 – 12 Nov 1994 | Became President |
| Hon (Mrs) Sirimavo RD Bandaranaike | National List | 14 Nov 1994 – 09 Aug 2000 | — | ||
| Hon Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | Kalutara District | 10 Aug 2000 – 13 Oct 2000 | — | ||
| Fourth Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2000–2001 | Hon Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | Kalutara District | 13 Oct 2000 – 07 Dec 2001 | — |
| Fifth Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2001–2004 | Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe | Colombo District | 09 Dec 2001 – 02 Apr 2004 | — |
| Sixth Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2004–2010 | Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa | Hambantota District | 06 Apr 2004 – 19 Nov 2005 | Became President |
| Hon Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | National List | 19 Nov 2005 – 20 Apr 2010 | — | ||
| Seventh Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2010–2015 | Hon DM Jayaratne | National List | 21 Apr 2010 – 09 Jan 2015 | — |
| Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe | Colombo District | 09 Jan 2015 – 21 Aug 2015 | Appointed after Sirisena became President | ||
| Eighth Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2015–2020 | Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe | Colombo District | 24 Aug 2015 – 26 Oct 2018 | — |
| Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa | Kurunegala District | 26 Oct 2018 – 15 Dec 2018 | — | ||
| Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe | Colombo District | 16 Dec 2018 – 21 Nov 2019 | Resigned | ||
| Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa | Kurunegala District | 21 Nov 2019 – 05 Aug 2020 | — | ||
| Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2020–2024 | Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa | Kurunegala District | 09 Aug 2020 – 09 May 2022 | Resigned |
| Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe | National List | 12 May 2022 – 20 Jul 2022 | Became President | ||
| Hon Dinesh Gunawardena | Colombo District | 22 Jul 2022 – 21 Sep 2024 | Resigned | ||
| Hon Dr Harini Amarasuriya | National List | 24 Sep 2024 – 14 Nov 2024 | — | ||
| Tenth Parliament of the D.S.R. | 2024–Present | Hon Dr Harini Amarasuriya | Colombo District | 18 Nov 2024 – Present | — |
Also Read: Complete List of Prime Ministers Of Japan (1885-2025): From ITO Hirobumi To Shigeru Ishiba
Also Read: List Of Top 10 Longest-Serving Prime Ministers In The World: Narendra Modi Is Also In The List
The above-mentioned elaborate list of Sri Lanka's Prime Ministers highlights a clear sight of the South-Asian country's leadership for almost eight decades. The list is useful to understand the political changes and transformations that modern Sri Lanka has endured over the years. These leaders are responsible for shaping the nation, its reforms, and evolutions, which have defined the governance and development of the island.
