List of state leaders in 1580

This is a list of heads of state, heads of governments, and other rulers in the year 1580.

Africa

• Ethiopian Empire – Sarsa Dengel (1563–1597)
• Kingdom of Kongo – Álvaro I, Manikongo (1568–1587)
• Sennar Sultanate – Dakin (1568–1585/6)
• Songhai Empire – Askia Daoud, Askia of the Songhai Empire (1549–1582)

Asia

• Ahmadnagar Sultanate – Murtaza Nizam Shah I (1565–1588)
• Arakkal kingdom – Ali Raja Ali, Raja of Arakkal (1545–1591)
• Ayutthaya Kingdom (Siam) – Maha Thammaracha (1569–1590)
• Toungoo Empire – Bayinnaung, King of Burma and Manipur, Emperor of Siam, Lan Na and Lan Xang (1550–1581)
• Khanate of Khiva – Abdullah Khan II (1577–1598)
• China (Ming dynasty) - Wanli Emperor (1573–1620)
• Đại Việt – Lê Thế Tông (1573–1599)
  • Đàng Ngoài – Trịnh Tùng, Trịnh lord (1570–1623)
  • Đàng Trong – Nguyễn Hoàng, Nguyễn lord (1558–1613)
• Japan (Azuchi–Momoyama period)
  • Monarch – Emperor Ōgimachi (1557–1586)
  • de facto - Oda Nobunaga (1536–1598)
• Khanate of Khiva – Haji Muhammad I (1558–1602)
• Joseon (Korea) – Seonjo (1567–1608)
• Mughal Empire – Akbar (1556–1605)
• Ryukyu Kingdom – Shō Ei (1573–1586)
• Philippines (Las islas Filipinas)

• Martín Enríquez de Almanza, Viceroy of New Spain (1568–1580)
• Francisco de Sande, Governor General and Captain General of the Philippines (1575–1580)

• Vijayanagara Empire – Sriranga Deva Raya (1572–1586)

Europe

• Kingdom of Denmark and Norway – Frederick II (1559–1588)
  • Duchy of Schleswig –
    1. Adolf (1544–1586), Frederick II (1559–1588), and John II (1544–1580) in condominial rule
    2. Adolf (1544–1586) and Frederick II (1559–1588) in condominial rule
• Kingdom of England – Elizabeth I (1558–1603)
• Kingdom of France – Henry III (1574–1589)
• Holy Roman Empire – Rudolf II (1576–1612)
  • Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen – Henry III (1567–1585)
  • Holland and Zeeland –
    • William the Silent, Prince of Orange, Leader of the resistance (1568–1584)
    • Grand Pensionary Paulus Buys (1572–1584)
  • Duchy of Holstein –
    1. Adolf (1544–1586), Frederick II (1559–1588), and John II (1544–1580) in condominial rule
    2. Adolf (1544–1586) and Frederick II (1559–1588) in condominial rule
  • Duchy of Mantua – Guglielmo Gonzaga (1550–1587)
  • Duchy of Modena – Alfonso II (1559–1597)
  • Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück – Henry II (1574–1585)
  • Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn – Henry IV (1577–1585)
  • Duchy of Parma – Ottavio Farnese (1549–1586)
  • Duchy of Savoy –
  1. Emmanuel Philibert, (1553–1580)
  2. Charles Emmanuel I (1580–1630)
  • Grand Duchy of Tuscany – Francescoo I de' Medici (1574–1587)
• Royal Hungary – Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (as Rudolf I) (1576–1608)
• Kingdom of Ireland - Elizabeth I, Queen of Ireland (1558–1603)
• Kingdom of Naples – Philip II (1556–1598)
• Kingdom of Navarre – Henry III (1572–1610)
• Ottoman (Turkish) Empire – Murad III (1574–1595)
• Papal States – Pope Gregory XIII (1572–1585)
• Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth – Anna Jagiellon and Stephen Báthory, co-monarchs (1574–1586)
• Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves –
  • Monarch –
  1. Henry (1578–1580)
  2. Anthony I – disputed, in opposition to Philip I (1580–1581)
  3. Philip II of Spain, as Philip I (1580–1598)
  • Regent – Council of Governors formed by Jorge de Almeida, Francisco de Sá de Meneses, Count of Matosinhos, João Telo de Meneses, lord of Aveiras, João de Mascarenhas and Diogo Lopes de Sousa
• Duchy of Prussia – Albert Frederick (1568–1618)
• Tsardom of Russia – Ivan IV, the Terrible, Tsar of Russia (1547–1584)
• Kingdom of Scotland – James VI (1567–1625)
• Kingdom of Spain - Philip II (1556–1598)
• Kingdom of Sweden – John III (1568–1592)
• Republic of Venice – Nicolò da Ponte, Doge of Venice (1578–1585)

Middle East and North Africa

• Morocco (Saadi dynasty) - Ahmad I al-Mansur Saadi (1578–1603)
• Safavid Empire – Mohammad Khodabanda, Shah of Iran (1578–1587)