Published
30 mins ago
on
May 7, 2025
| 45 views
-->
By
Julia Wendling
Graphics & Design
- Lebon Siu
The following content is sponsored by Inigo
Ranked: Executive Orders by President in the First 100 Days
Key Takeaways
- In the first 100 days of his presidency, Trump signed 130 executive orders—by far the most of any U.S. president in history.
- The next highest was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed significantly fewer orders during the early days of his presidency, despite leading during the Great Depression and World War II.
- Interestingly, during Trump’s first term, he issued far fewer orders in the same timeframe.
As of just 100 days into his term, Trump had already signed 130 executive orders—more than some presidents issued over their entire time in office.
This graphic, created in collaboration with Inigo, offers a visual look at the presidents who made the most prolific use of executive orders throughout American history.
A Closer Look at Orders
Using data from UC Santa Barbara, we’ve broken down how many executive orders each president issued in their first 100 days.
| Rank | Executive Orders | President | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 130 | Donald J. Trump (R) II | 2025–present |
| 2 | 93 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) I | 1933–1937 (Great Depression) |
| 3 | 80 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) III | 1941–1945 (WW2) |
| 4 | 62 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) II | 1937–1941 (In-Between Period) |
| 5 | 59 | Herbert Hoover (R) | 1929–1933 |
| 6 | 54 | Harry S. Truman I (D) | 1945–1949 |
| 7 | 42 | Joseph R. Biden (D) | 2021–2025 |
| 8 | 33 | Donald J. Trump (R) I | 2017–2021 |
| 9 | 26 | Lyndon B. Johnson II (D) | 1963-1969 |
| 10 | 25 | Harry S Truman II (D) | 1949-1953 |
Data as of April 30, 2025.
President Trump and President Biden are the only presidents from the last 50 years to hit the top 10 list.
Trump’s Executive Orders
Trump’s rapid-fire use of orders underscores his intent to drive change and disrupt the status quo on an unprecedented scale. On his first day in office alone, he signed a record-breaking 26 executive orders—nearly triple the next-highest first-day total, set by President Biden with 9.
These orders span a wide range of issues, including boosting American industry, cutting government inefficiencies, and addressing topics like foreign aid, border security, discrimination, innovation, and trade policy.
Executive Activity of Past Presidents
Upon taking office in January 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden directed his early efforts toward anti-discrimination measures and pandemic containment. Obama, on the other hand, prioritized labor rights and ethics reforms during his early days in office.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who assumed the presidency during multiple national crises, including the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II, centered his early executive actions on securing economic stability and recovery.
Go Deeper on Risk
In the face of global change, today’s data can help form the foundation of tomorrow’s resilience.
Visit Inigo for a data-driven view of risk.
Related Topics: #president #trump #biden #U.S. president #Inigo #executive orders #Roosevelt #Hoover #Truman #Johnson
Click for Comments
var disqus_shortname = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com";
var disqus_title = "Ranked: Executive Orders by President in the First 100 Days";
var disqus_url = "https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/in01-ranked-executive-orders-by-president-in-the-first-100-days/";
var disqus_identifier = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com-177652";
You may also like
-
Public Opinion1 week ago
Ranked: The World’s Most and Least Popular Leaders in 2025
U.S. President Trump posted a 48% approval rating in April, down from 52% in January.
-
Politics4 weeks ago
Ranked: Top 10 Donors of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
In four of the last five U.S. elections, the candidate who raised the most money won.
-
War4 weeks ago
Mapped: The Deadliest Terrorist Attacks in 2024
Terrorism remains a pressing issue globally, with the number of countries recording a terrorist incident increasing from 58 to 66 last year.
-
War1 month ago
Mapped: Countries With the Most Nuclear Weapons
Even without the U.S., France and the UK provide NATO with the third-largest nuclear arsenal.
-
Politics1 month ago
Survey Reveals Which Groups Are Losing Pride in America
While key American allies are turning sour on the country, are Americans themselves losing pride in their nation?
-
Crime1 month ago
World Leaders Indicted by the International Criminal Court
The ICC investigates and tries individuals charged with crimes including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Subscribe
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Join the 375,000+ subscribers who receive our daily email *Sign Up