Southern European Countries 2026

As the seventh largest continent in the world, Europe is broken down into a total of four regions that include Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe. Southern Europe is often described as a region of nineteen countries, though classifications vary by source. Countries most consistently included are Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Vatican City, while Cyprus is sometimes included and Turkey is rarely included. Some sources also include Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, rather than a sovereign country.

In total, Southern Europe is home to about 151 million people if Turkey is included, representing roughly 1.8 percent of the global population. The most common languages in Southern Europe include Italian, Spanish, Serbian, Croatian, Greek, Turkish, Portuguese, and Catalan. Many of the languages in this region are Romance languages, meaning they descended from Latin roots, as Latin was widely spoken across Southern Europe during the Roman era and is now considered a dead language. Lesser-used languages in Southern Europe include Galician, Occitan, Albanian, Slovenian, Macedonian, Maltese, and Basque.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Southern European country of Bosnia and Herzegovina spans about 19,700 square miles and is currently home to roughly 3.2 million people. Despite its modest size, the country has been experiencing a gradual population decline in recent years, driven largely by emigration and low birth rates. As a result, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s population density stands at around 160 people per square mile, a figure that is expected to continue falling if current demographic trends persist.

Greece

Greece, a Southern European country, covers about 49,800 square miles and is home to roughly 10.3 million people based on recent population estimates. This places Greece at around 0.13% of the world’s population and ranks it in the high-80s globally by population. With its population spread across a mix of mainland and island territory, Greece has a population density of just over 200 people per square mile.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia is located on the Balkan Peninsula and became an independent country in 1991, following the breakup of Yugoslavia. For many years, it was internationally referred to as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, a provisional name adopted during a long-running dispute over its official designation. That issue was formally resolved in 2019, when the country adopted the name North Macedonia, which is now used both domestically and internationally.

Today, North Macedonia has a population of just over 2 million people. On a global scale, it ranks in the mid-140s by population and accounts for roughly 0.03% of the world’s total population. Unlike many countries in the region, North Macedonia’s population has remained relatively stable in recent years, with only modest demographic change.