1578 state leaders - Events of 1579 - 1580 state leaders - State leaders by year

Africa

• Ethiopia - Sarsa Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia (1563-1597)
• Kongo - Álvaro I, Manikongo (1568 - 1587)
• Sennar - Dakin (1568 - 1585/6)
• Songhai Empire - Askia Daoud, Askia of the Songhai Empire (1549-1582)

Asia

• Bukhara - Abdullah Khan II, Khan of Bukhara (1577-1598)
• China (Ming Dynasty) - Wanli, Emperor of China (1573-1620)
• Dai Viet - Lê Thế Tông, Emperor of Dai Viet (1573-1599)
  • Đàng Ngoài - Trịnh Tùng, Trịnh Lord (1570-1623)
  • Đàng Trong - Nguyễn Hoàng, Nguyễn Lord (1558–1613)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Ogimachi, Emperor of Japan (1557-1586)
  • de facto - Oda Nobunaga (1536-1598)
• Khiva - Haji Muhammad I, Khan of Khiva (1558-1602)
• Korea (Joseon Dynasty) - Seonjo, King of Joseon (1567-1608)
• Mughal Empire - Akbar, Mughal Emperor (1556-1605)
• Ryūkyū Kingdom - Shō Ei, King of Ryūkyū (1573-1586)

Europe

• Denmark-Norway - Frederick II, King of Denmark and King of Norway (1559-1588)
• England - Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1558 - 1603)
• France - Henry III, King of France (1574-1589)
• Holland and Zeeland -
  • William the Silent, Prince of Orange, Leader of the resistance (1568-1584)
  • Grand Pensionary Paulus Buys (1572-1584)
• Holy Roman Empire - Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1576-1612)
• Hungary - Rudolf I, King of Hungary (1576-1608)
• Navarre - Henry III of Navarre, King of Navarre (1572-1610)
• Papal States - Gregory XIII, Bishop of Rome (1572-1585)
• Poland - Anna Jagiellon and Stefan Batory, co-monarchs of Poland (1574-1586)
• Portugal - Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal (1578-1580)
• Russia - Ivan IV the Terrible, Grand Prince of Moscow (1533-1547) then Tsar of Russia 1547-1584)
• Scotland - James VI, King of Scotland (1567-1625)
• Spain and Portugal - Philip II (1556-1598)
• Sweden - John III, King of Sweden (1568-1592)
• Venice - Nicolò da Ponte, Doge of Venice (1578-1585)

Middle East and North Africa

• Morocco - Ahmad I al-Mansur Saadi, Sultan of the Saadi dynasty (1578-1603)
• Ottoman Empire - Murad III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1574-1595)
• Safavid Empire - Mohammed Khodabanda Shah of Iran (1578-1587)