1888 state leaders - Events of 1889 - 1890 state leaders - State leaders by year

Africa

• Ashanti Confederacy - Kwaku Dua III Asamu, Asantehene (1888-1896)
• Burundi - Mwezi IV Gisabo, King of Burundi (1852-1908)
• Dahomey -
  1. Glele, King of Dahomey (1856-1889)
  2. Behanzin, King of Dahomey (1889-1894)
• Liberia - Hilary R. W. Johnson, President of Liberia (1884-1892)
• Sokoto Caliphate
  • Caliph - Umar bin Ali, Sokoto Caliph (1881-1891)
  • Grand Vizier - Muhammad Bukhari, Sokoto Grand Vizier (1886-1910)
• Zanzibar - Sayyid Khalifah bin Said Al-Busaid, Sultan of Zanzibar (1888-1890)

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 -
    1. Kuroda Kiyotaka, Prime Minister of Japan (1888-1889)
    2. Yamagata Aritomo, Prime Minister of Japan (1889-1891)
• Korea (Joseon Dynasty) - Gojong, King of Joseon (1864-1907, Emperor after 1897)
• 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 - Count Eduard von Taaffe, Minister-President of Austria (1879-1893)
  • Minister-President of Hungary - Kálmán Tisza, Minister-President of Hungary (1875-1890)
• Belgium
  • Monarch - Léopold II, King of the Belgians (1865-1909)
  • Cabinet Chief - August Beernaert, Cabinet Chief of Belgium (1884-1894)
• Bulgaria
  • Monarch - Ferdinand of Bulgaria, King of Bulgaria (1886-1918)
  • Prime Minister - Stefan Stambolov (1887-1894)
• Denmark
  • Monarch - Christian IX, King of Denmark (1863-1906)
  • Prime Minister - Jakob Brønnum Scavenius Estrup, Prime Minister of Denmark (1875-1894)
• France -
  • President - Marie François Sadi Carnot, President of France (1887-1894)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Charles Floquet, President of the Council (1888-1889)
    2. Pierre Tirard, President of the Council (1889-1890)
• German Empire -
  • Monarch - Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1888-1918)
  • Chancellor - Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany (1871-1890)
  • see also List of German rulers in 1889
• Italy
  • Monarch - Umberto I, King of Italy (1878-1900)
  • Prime Minister - Francesco Crispi, Prime Minister of Italy (1887-1891)
• Luxembourg
  • Monarch - William III, King of the Netherlands (1849-1890)
  • Prime Minister - Paul Eyschen, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1888-1915)
• Netherlands -
  • Monarch - William III, King of the Netherlands (1849-1890)
  • Prime Minister - Aeneas Mackay, Chairman of the Dutch council of ministers (1888-1891)
• Portugal -
  1. Luis, King of Portugal (1861-1889)
  2. Carlos, King of Portugal (1889-1908)
• Russia - Alexander III, Tsar of Russia (1881-1894)
• Spain -
  • Monarch - Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (1886-1931)
  • Prime Minister - Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, Prime Minister of Spain (1871-1872, 1874, 1881-1883, 1885-1890, 1892-1895, 1897-1899)
• Sweden -
  • Monarch - Oscar II, King of Sweden (1872-1907)
  • Prime Minister -
  1. Gillis Bildt, Prime Minister of Sweden (1888-1889)
  2. Gustaf Åkerhielm, Prime Minister of Sweden (1889-1891)
• 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

• Canada -
  • Prime Minister - Sir John A. Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada (1878-1891)
• Costa Rica - Bernardo Soto Alfaro, President of Costa Rica (1885–1890)
• United States - Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States (1889-1893)
• Mexico - Porfirio Díaz, President of México (1884-1911)

Oceania

• Franceville - Ferdinand Chevillard, President of Franceville (1889)
• Hawaii - Kalākaua, King of Hawaiʻi (1874-1891)
• Niue - Fata-a-iki, King of Niue (1887-1896)
• Samoa - Malietoa Laupepa, Malietoa (1880-1898)
• Tonga -
  • Monarch - George Tupou I, King of Tonga (1845-1893)
  • Prime Minister - Shirley Waldemar Baker, Prime Minister of Tonga, (1880 – 1890)

South America

• Brazil -
  1. Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil (1831-1889)
  2. Deodoro da Fonseca, Head of the Provisional Government (1889-1891)
• Uruguay - Máximo Tajes, President of Uruguay (1886-1890)