The Canadian province of Manitoba was created in 1870. Manitoba has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the Premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier is Manitoba's head of government, and the Queen of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. The Premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Manitoba, and then presides over that body.

Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election, but the premier may ask for early dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. An election may also happen if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.

Manitoba has had twenty-one Premiers since the province was formed, of which six were non-partisan, six were Progressive Conservatives, four were Liberals, and four were New Democrats. However, during the early years of the province and until 1874, leading ministers were not titled "Premier". Furthermore, they were officially non-partisan and were chosen by elected members of the Legislative Assembly from among themselves before the province began to use a party system in 1888. This project only covers the time since the province was created in 1870. Before that, the territory was part of the District of Assiniboia in Rupert's Land, and was loosely controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company.

Non-Partisan Premiers

• Alfred Boyd (16 September 1870 to 14 December 1871)
• Marc-Amable Girard (1st time) (14 December 1871 to 14 March 1872)
• Henry Joseph Clarke (14 March 1872 to 8 July 1874)
• Marc-Amable Girard (2nd time) (8 July 1874 to 2 December 1874)
• Robert Atkinson Davis (3 December 1874 to 16 October 1878)
• John Norquay (16 October 1878 to 24 December 1887)
• David Thomas Harrison (26 December 1887 to 19 January 1888)

Manitoba Liberal Party Premier

• Thomas Greenway (19 January 1888 to 6 January 1900)

Conservative Party of Manitoba Premiers

• Sir Hugh John Macdonald (10 January 1900 to 29 October 1900)
• Sir Rodmond Roblin (29 October 1900 to 12 May 1915)

Manitoba Liberal Party Premier

• Tobias Norris (12 May 1915 to 8 August 1922)

Progressive Party of Manitoba Premier

• John Bracken (8 August 1922 to 14 January 1943)

Manitoba Liberal-Progressive Party Premiers

• Stuart Garson (14 January 1943 to 13 November 1948)
• Douglas Lloyd Campbell (13 November 1948 to 30 June 1958)

Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Premiers

• Dufferin Roblin (30 June 1958 to 27 November 1967)
• Walter Weir (27 November 1967 to 15 July 1969)

New Democratic Party of Manitoba Premier

• Edward Schreyer (15 July 1969 to 24 November 1977)

Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Premier

• Sterling Lyon (24 November 1977 to 17 November 1981)

New Democratic Party of Manitoba Premier

• Howard Pawley (30 November 1981 to 9 May 1988)

Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Premier

• Gary Filmon (9 May 1988 to 5 October 1999)

New Democratic Party of Manitoba Premiers

• Gary Doer (5 October 1999 to 19 October 2009)
• Greg Selinger (19 October 2009 to 3 May 2016)

Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Premier

• Brian Pallister (3 May 2016 to present)