Smallest Countries in Asia 2026

Smallest Countries in Asia by Land Area

By land area, the smallest countries in Asia are Maldives, Singapore, and Bahrain. Maldives is the smallest, covering just 300 km² (116 sq mi), followed by Singapore at 710 km² (274 sq mi) and Bahrain at 765 km² (295 sq mi). Maldives and Bahrain are island nations, while Singapore is a city-state; thus, Asia’s smallest countries by size are concentrated in compact, coastal, or island settings. Some Asian territories, such as Macau and Hong Kong, also have very small land areas but are not sovereign states.

Smallest Countries in Asia by Population

By population, the smallest countries in Asia are Brunei, Maldives, and Bhutan. Brunei has the smallest population, with about 466,000 residents, followed by Maldives at roughly 530,000 and Bhutan at approximately 797,000. Unlike the smallest countries by land area, this group is more geographically diverse: Brunei is coastal, the Maldives are island-based, and Bhutan is a landlocked Himalayan country with a relatively large land area but a small population. Macau has a smaller population than these countries, but it is not a sovereign state.