<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/96
000 C000000 0000737520
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 DREYFUS NEW LEADERS FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-3940
001 C000000 2129226855
002 A000000 200 PARK AVENUE
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10166
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
015 A000001 MELLON BANK, N.A.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 PITTSBURGH
015 C020001 PA
015 C030001 15258
015 E030001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 152
019 C000000 DREYFUSFAM
020 A000001 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP
020 B000001 13-2741729
020 C000001 74
020 A000002 OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC.
020 B000002 13-2798343
020 C000002 70
020 A000003 PETERS & CO. LIMITED
020 C000003 66
020 A000004 JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.
020 B000004 95-2622900
020 C000004 62
020 A000005 NATWEST SECURITIES CORPORATION
020 B000005 13-3341706
020 C000005 62
020 A000006 DILLON, READ & CO. INC.
020 B000006 13-1939216
020 C000006 59
020 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
020 B000007 13-5674085
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 C000007 57
020 A000008 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
020 B000008 13-2655998
020 C000008 54
020 A000009 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
020 B000009 13-3082694
020 C000009 50
020 A000010 AUTRANET, INC.
020 B000010 13-2961507
020 C000010 49
021 000000 1602
022 A000001 G.X. CLARKE & CO.
022 B000001 13-2969143
022 C000001 603749
022 D000001 440515
022 A000002 PARIBAS CORP.
022 B000002 13-3235334
022 C000002 0
022 D000002 95571
022 A000003 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
022 B000003 13-5108880
022 C000003 40079
022 D000003 41147
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
022 B000004 13-5674085
022 C000004 26512
022 D000004 30199
022 A000005 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
022 B000005 13-2655998
022 C000005 37433
022 D000005 17623
022 A000006 CS FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
022 B000006 13-5659485
022 C000006 30564
022 D000006 17043
022 A000007 COWEN & COMPANY
022 B000007 13-5616116
022 C000007 33228
022 D000007 6903
022 A000008 NEEDHAM & COMPANY, INC.
022 B000008 13-3255839
022 C000008 35036
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
022 B000009 13-3082694
022 C000009 18282
022 D000009 12362
022 A000010 OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC.
022 B000010 13-2798343
022 C000010 7587
022 D000010 20373
<PAGE> PAGE 3
023 C000000 1084752
023 D000000 888231
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 Y
028 A010000 24134
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 25905
028 B010000 24248
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 17580
028 C010000 33194
028 C020000 1489
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 27149
028 D010000 101321
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 63294
028 E010000 35743
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 65258
028 F010000 29176
028 F020000 53062
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 44176
028 G010000 247816
028 G020000 54551
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 243362
028 H000000 0
037 000000 Y
038 000000 78
039 000000 N
040 000000 N
053 A000000 N
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 Y
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 Y
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 Y
071 A000000 752321
071 B000000 678773
071 C000000 664062
<PAGE> PAGE 5
071 D000000 102
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 2597
072 C000000 4657
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 5340
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 2638
072 J000000 71
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 30
072 M000000 43
072 N000000 84
072 O000000 1
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 40
072 S000000 26
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 13
072 W000000 12
072 X000000 8298
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 -1044
072AA000000 121055
072BB000000 55457
072CC010000 48465
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 0
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 55874
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 3.0700
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 3266
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 47837
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 1600
074 F000000 746470
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 3677
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 683
074 M000000 60
<PAGE> PAGE 6
074 N000000 803593
074 O000000 4471
074 P000000 545
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 17577
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 781000
074 U010000 19171
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 40.74
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 35945
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 711987
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
080 A000000 VIGILANT INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NAT'L UNION FIRE INS. COMPANY OF PITTSBURG PA
080 C000000 125000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 168
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE DOUGLAS C. CONROY
TITLE ASSISTANT TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000737520
<NAME> DREYFUS NEW LEADERS FUND, INC.
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 637547
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 795907
<RECEIVABLES> 4360
<ASSETS-OTHER> 3326
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 803593
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 4471
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 18122
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 22593
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 612977
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 19171
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 16233
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (1115)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 10778
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 158360
<NET-ASSETS> 781000
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 4657
<INTEREST-INCOME> 2597
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 8298
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (1044)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 65598
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 48465
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 113019
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (55874)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 9444
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (7866)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 1359
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 174054
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> (72)
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 1054
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 5340
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 8298
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 711987
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 37.39
<PER-SHARE-NII> (.05)
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 6.47
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (3.07)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 40.74
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .012
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
