How many countries are there in the world? While this might seem to be a simple question, the answer is quite complicated.
The problem is that different organizations have different stances on exactly what it takes to qualify as a country. Depending on the source, the number of countries can vary quite considerably, and there is no universal agreement on the total.
That said, the United Nations is generally regarded as the de facto authority on nationhood. Currently, the U.N. recognizes 193 countries as member states. It also recognizes two "observers states", the Holy See/Vatican City and Palestine, which are self-ruling territories but not full-fledged countries.
However, even the U.N. list is not free of controversy. The U.N. does not currently acknowledge the self-governed territory of Taiwan (Republic of China), which was a member of the U.N. from 1945 to 1971, but is now considered a territory of mainland China. Similarly, as of 2020, roughly half of U.N. members still considered Kosovo to be part of Serbia rather than its own nation.
By comparison, Britannica's list of countries grants full nation-hood rights to Vatican City, Taiwan, and Kosovo for a total of 196 countries. Then there's Wikipedia's list of sovereign states, which mirrors the U.N.'s list of 193 countries and two observer states, then adds eleven sovereign states, including Taiwan, Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, Cook Islands, and more for a total of 206.
Perhaps the most puzzling non-country is Greenland, a massive island between the north Atlantic and Arctic oceans, which certainly looks like it ought to be its own country—just like its tiny neighbor, Iceland. However, Greenland is not a U.N. member country and, while it controls many of its own domestic affairs, it is ultimately controlled by Denmark, a European country even tinier than Iceland, thousands of miles away.
Other sources use a less rigid definition of country and give dependent and disputed territories such as Greenland and the Gaza Strip their own separate listings. This is the reason the United States' CIA Factbook lists 237 countries.
All of this demonstrates that it is not so simple to determine the exact number of countries there are in the world. Moreover, and the constantly changing nature of politics means that issues around sovereignty are unlikely to ever be fully resolved.
Country | Population | Area (km²) | Continent | Subregion | UN Member |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
India | 1,441,719,852 | 3.3M | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
China | 1,425,178,782 | 9.7M | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
United States | 341,814,420 | 9.4M | North America | Northern America | |
Indonesia | 279,798,049 | 1.9M | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Pakistan | 245,209,815 | 881.9K | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
Nigeria | 229,152,217 | 923.8K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Brazil | 217,637,297 | 8.5M | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Bangladesh | 174,701,211 | 147.6K | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
Russia | 143,957,079 | 17.1M | AsiaEurope | Eastern Europe | |
Ethiopia | 129,719,719 | 1.1M | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Mexico | 129,388,467 | 2M | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Japan | 122,631,432 | 377.9K | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Philippines | 119,106,224 | 342.4K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Egypt | 114,484,252 | 1M | Africa | Northern Africa, The Middle East | |
DR Congo | 105,625,114 | 2.3M | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Vietnam | 99,497,680 | 331.2K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Iran | 89,809,781 | 1.6M | Asia | Southern Asia, The Middle East | |
Turkey | 86,260,417 | 783.6K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Germany | 83,252,474 | 357.1K | Europe | Western Europe | |
Thailand | 71,885,799 | 513.1K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Tanzania | 69,419,073 | 945.1K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
United Kingdom | 67,961,439 | 242.9K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
France | 64,881,830 | 551.7K | Europe | Western Europe | |
South Africa | 61,020,221 | 1.2M | Africa | Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Italy | 58,697,744 | 301.3K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Kenya | 56,203,030 | 580.4K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Myanmar | 54,964,694 | 676.6K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Colombia | 52,340,774 | 1.1M | South America | South America, Latin America | |
South Korea | 51,741,963 | 100.2K | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Uganda | 49,924,252 | 241.6K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Sudan | 49,358,228 | 1.9M | Africa | Northern Africa | |
Spain | 47,473,373 | 506K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Iraq | 46,523,657 | 438.3K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Algeria | 46,278,751 | 2.4M | Africa | Northern Africa | |
Argentina | 46,057,866 | 2.8M | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Afghanistan | 43,372,950 | 652.2K | Asia | South Central Asia, Southern Asia | |
Poland | 40,221,726 | 312.7K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Canada | 39,107,046 | 10M | North America | Northern America | |
Morocco | 38,211,459 | 446.6K | Africa | Northern Africa | |
Ukraine | 37,937,821 | 603.5K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Angola | 37,804,634 | 1.2M | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Saudi Arabia | 37,473,929 | 2.1M | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Uzbekistan | 35,673,804 | 447.4K | Asia | Central Asia, South Central Asia | |
Yemen | 35,219,853 | 528K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Mozambique | 34,858,402 | 801.6K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Ghana | 34,777,522 | 238.5K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Peru | 34,683,444 | 1.3M | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Malaysia | 34,671,895 | 330.8K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Nepal | 31,240,315 | 147.2K | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
Madagascar | 31,056,610 | 587K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Ivory Coast | 29,603,302 | 322.5K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Venezuela | 29,395,334 | 916.4K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Cameroon | 29,394,433 | 475.4K | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Niger | 28,238,972 | 1.3M | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Australia | 26,699,482 | 7.7M | Oceania | Australia and New Zealand | |
North Korea | 26,244,582 | 120.5K | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Syria | 24,348,053 | 185.2K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Mali | 24,015,789 | 1.2M | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Taiwan | 23,950,214 | 36.2K | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Burkina Faso | 23,840,247 | 273K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Sri Lanka | 21,949,268 | 65.6K | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
Malawi | 21,475,962 | 118.5K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Zambia | 21,134,695 | 752.6K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Kazakhstan | 19,828,165 | 2.7M | Asia | Central Asia | |
Chile | 19,658,839 | 756.1K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Romania | 19,618,996 | 238.4K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Chad | 18,847,148 | 1.3M | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Somalia | 18,706,922 | 637.7K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Ecuador | 18,377,367 | 276.8K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Guatemala | 18,358,430 | 108.9K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Senegal | 18,221,567 | 196.7K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Netherlands | 17,671,125 | 41.9K | Europe | Western Europe | |
Cambodia | 17,121,847 | 181K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Zimbabwe | 17,020,321 | 390.8K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Guinea | 14,528,770 | 245.9K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Rwanda | 14,414,910 | 26.3K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Benin | 14,080,072 | 112.6K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Burundi | 13,591,657 | 27.8K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Bolivia | 12,567,336 | 1.1M | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Tunisia | 12,564,689 | 163.6K | Africa | Northern Africa | |
Haiti | 11,867,030 | 27.8K | North America | Caribbean | |
Belgium | 11,715,774 | 30.5K | Europe | Western Europe | |
Dominican Republic | 11,434,005 | 48.7K | North America | Caribbean | |
Jordan | 11,384,922 | 89.3K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
South Sudan | 11,277,092 | 619.7K | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Cuba | 11,174,587 | 109.9K | North America | Caribbean | |
Honduras | 10,759,406 | 112.5K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Sweden | 10,673,669 | 450.3K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Papua New Guinea | 10,515,788 | 462.8K | Oceania | Melanesia | |
Czech Republic | 10,503,734 | 78.9K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Azerbaijan | 10,462,904 | 86.6K | Asia | Western Asia | |
Tajikistan | 10,331,513 | 143.1K | Asia | Central Asia, South Central Asia | |
Greece | 10,302,720 | 132K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Portugal | 10,223,349 | 92.1K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Hungary | 9,994,993 | 93K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
United Arab Emirates | 9,591,853 | 83.6K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Belarus | 9,455,037 | 207.6K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Israel | 9,311,652 | 20.8K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Togo | 9,260,864 | 56.8K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Sierra Leone | 8,977,972 | 71.7K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Austria | 8,977,139 | 83.9K | Europe | Western Europe | |
Switzerland | 8,851,431 | 41.3K | Europe | Western Europe | |
Laos | 7,736,681 | 236.8K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Hong Kong | 7,496,681 | 1.1K | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Nicaragua | 7,142,529 | 130.4K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Serbia | 7,097,028 | 88.4K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Libya | 6,964,197 | 1.8M | Africa | Northern Africa | |
Paraguay | 6,947,270 | 406.8K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Kyrgyzstan | 6,839,606 | 200K | Asia | Central Asia, South Central Asia | |
Bulgaria | 6,618,615 | 110.9K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Turkmenistan | 6,598,071 | 488.1K | Asia | Central Asia, South Central Asia | |
El Salvador | 6,396,289 | 21K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Republic of the Congo | 6,244,547 | 342K | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Singapore | 6,052,709 | 710 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Denmark | 5,939,695 | 43.1K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Central African Republic | 5,915,627 | 623K | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Slovakia | 5,702,832 | 49K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Finland | 5,549,886 | 338.4K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Liberia | 5,536,949 | 111.4K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Norway | 5,514,477 | 323.8K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Palestine | 5,494,963 | 6.2K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
New Zealand | 5,269,939 | 270.5K | Oceania | Australia and New Zealand | |
Costa Rica | 5,246,714 | 51.1K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Lebanon | 5,219,044 | 10.5K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Ireland | 5,089,478 | 70.3K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Mauritania | 4,993,922 | 1M | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Oman | 4,713,553 | 309.5K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Panama | 4,527,961 | 75.4K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Kuwait | 4,349,380 | 17.8K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Croatia | 3,986,627 | 56.6K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Eritrea | 3,817,651 | 117.6K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Georgia | 3,717,425 | 69.7K | Asia | Western Asia | |
Mongolia | 3,493,629 | 1.6M | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Uruguay | 3,423,316 | 181K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Moldova | 3,329,865 | 33.8K | Europe | Eastern Europe | |
Puerto Rico | 3,268,802 | 8.9K | North America | Caribbean | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,194,378 | 51.2K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Gambia | 2,841,803 | 10.7K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Albania | 2,826,020 | 28.7K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Jamaica | 2,824,738 | 11K | North America | Caribbean | |
Armenia | 2,777,979 | 29.7K | Asia | Western Asia | |
Qatar | 2,737,061 | 11.6K | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Botswana | 2,719,694 | 582K | Africa | Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Lithuania | 2,692,798 | 65.3K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Namibia | 2,645,805 | 825.6K | Africa | Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Gabon | 2,484,557 | 267.7K | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Lesotho | 2,356,083 | 30.4K | Africa | Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Guinea Bissau | 2,197,149 | 36.1K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Slovenia | 2,118,965 | 20.3K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
North Macedonia | 2,082,706 | 25.7K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Latvia | 1,810,240 | 64.6K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Equatorial Guinea | 1,754,993 | 28.1K | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Trinidad and Tobago | 1,538,200 | 5.1K | North America | Caribbean | |
Bahrain | 1,498,712 | 765 | Asia | Western Asia, The Middle East | |
Timor Leste | 1,379,883 | 14.9K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Estonia | 1,319,041 | 45.2K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Mauritius | 1,301,978 | 2K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Cyprus | 1,268,467 | 9.3K | Europe | Eastern Europe, The Middle East | |
Eswatini | 1,222,075 | 17.4K | Africa | Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Djibouti | 1,152,329 | 23.2K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Reunion | 989,350 | 2.5K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Fiji | 943,072 | 18.3K | Oceania | Melanesia | |
Comoros | 867,605 | 1.9K | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Guyana | 819,594 | 215K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Bhutan | 792,382 | 38.4K | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
Solomon Islands | 756,673 | 28.9K | Oceania | Melanesia | |
Macau | 713,082 | 33 | Asia | Eastern Asia | |
Luxembourg | 661,594 | 2.6K | Europe | Western Europe | |
Suriname | 628,785 | 163.8K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Montenegro | 626,102 | 13.8K | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Cape Verde | 604,461 | 4K | Africa | Western Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Western Sahara | 598,385 | 266K | Africa | Northern Africa | |
Malta | 536,740 | 316 | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Maldives | 517,887 | 300 | Asia | Southern Asia, South Central Asia | |
Brunei | 455,858 | 5.8K | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | |
Belize | 416,656 | 23K | North America | Central America, Latin America | |
Bahamas | 415,223 | 13.9K | North America | Caribbean | |
Guadeloupe | 396,346 | 1.6K | North America | Caribbean, Latin America | |
Iceland | 377,689 | 103K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Martinique | 366,416 | 1.1K | North America | Caribbean, Latin America | |
Mayotte | 345,996 | 374 | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Vanuatu | 342,325 | 12.2K | Oceania | Melanesia | |
French Guiana | 319,796 | 83.5K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
French Polynesia | 311,383 | 4.2K | Oceania | Polynesia | |
New Caledonia | 295,966 | 18.6K | Oceania | Melanesia | |
Barbados | 282,309 | 430 | North America | Caribbean | |
Sao Tome and Principe | 236,381 | 964 | Africa | Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Samoa | 228,966 | 2.8K | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Curacao | 192,965 | 444 | North America | Caribbean | |
Saint Lucia | 180,805 | 616 | North America | Caribbean | |
Guam | 174,114 | 549 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Kiribati | 135,763 | 811 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Grenada | 126,887 | 344 | North America | Caribbean | |
Micronesia | 116,300 | 702 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Jersey | 112,843 | 116 | Europe | Northern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Tonga | 108,683 | 747 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Seychelles | 108,263 | 452 | Africa | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
Aruba | 106,177 | 180 | North America | Caribbean | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 103,683 | 389 | North America | Caribbean | |
United States Virgin Islands | 98,055 | 347 | North America | Caribbean | |
Antigua and Barbuda | 94,816 | 442 | North America | Caribbean | |
Isle of Man | 84,904 | 572 | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Andorra | 80,341 | 468 | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Dominica | 73,368 | 751 | North America | Caribbean | |
Cayman Islands | 69,885 | 264 | North America | Caribbean | |
Bermuda | 63,935 | 54 | North America | Northern America | |
Guernsey | 63,788 | 78 | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Greenland | 56,789 | 2.2M | North America | Northern America | |
Faroe Islands | 53,444 | 1.4K | Europe | Northern Europe | |
Northern Mariana Islands | 50,025 | 464 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 47,847 | 261 | North America | Caribbean | |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 46,431 | 948 | North America | Caribbean | |
Sint Maarten | 44,309 | 34 | North America | Caribbean | |
American Samoa | 43,544 | 199 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Marshall Islands | 42,415 | 181 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Liechtenstein | 39,822 | 160 | Europe | Western Europe | |
Monaco | 36,157 | 2 | Europe | Western Europe | |
San Marino | 33,614 | 61 | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Gibraltar | 32,718 | 7 | Europe | Southern Europe | |
Saint Martin | 32,337 | 53 | North America | Caribbean, Latin America | |
British Virgin Islands | 31,763 | 151 | North America | Caribbean | |
Palau | 18,051 | 459 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Cook Islands | 17,072 | 240 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Anguilla | 15,936 | 91 | North America | Caribbean | |
Nauru | 12,884 | 21 | Oceania | Micronesia | |
Tuvalu | 11,478 | 26 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Wallis and Futuna | 11,439 | 274 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Saint Barthelemy | 11,019 | 21 | North America | Caribbean, Latin America | |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 5,815 | 242 | North America | Northern America | |
Montserrat | 4,372 | 102 | North America | Caribbean | |
Falkland Islands | 3,803 | 12.2K | South America | South America, Latin America | |
Niue | 1,935 | 261 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Tokelau | 1,915 | 12 | Oceania | Polynesia | |
Vatican City | 526 | < 1 | Europe | Southern Europe |