Unrecognized Countries 2026
UN Member Status
Associated state
Non-UN member
UN member
UN Member Status
7 countries
3 countries
2 countries
Country | UN Member Status↓ | Official Country Name | Year Declared | Level of Recognition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | China | UN member | People's Republic of China | 1949 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | South Korea | UN member | Republic of Korea | 1948 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | North Korea | UN member | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 1948 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | Israel | UN member | State of Israel | 1948 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | Palestine | UN member | State of Palestine | 1988 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | Armenia | UN member | Republic of Armenia | 1991 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | Cyprus | UN member | Republic of Cyprus | 1960 | Many, but not all, UN members |
 | Taiwan | Non-UN member | Republic of China | 1912 | At least one UN member |
 | Western Sahara | Non-UN member | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 1976 | At least one UN member |
 | Malta | Non-UN member | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 1113 | Limited |
 | Cook Islands | Associated state | Cook Islands | 1965 | At least one UN member |
 | Niue | Associated state | Niue | 1974 | At least one UN member |
- Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states that have unique “free association” ties to New Zealand. They are recognized as sovereign states by some UN members, but not by others.
- It is not necessary for a state to attain unanimous recognition in order to become a United Nations member (and country). China, for example, is a founding UN member, but is not currently recognized by Taiwan.
- On Dec 26, 2025, Israel became the first country to officially recognize Somaliland as an independent sovereign state.
Snapshot
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Several territories function as countries but lack full international recognition, including Taiwan, Palestine, and Western Sahara.
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Some entities are recognized by dozens of UN member states but not admitted as UN members, while others are recognized by only a handful of countries.
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Recognition status often depends on geopolitical disputes, such as China–Taiwan, Israel–Palestine, and Morocco–Western Sahara.
Unrecognized or Partially Recognized Country A political entity that claims statehood but lacks universal diplomatic recognition, meaning some governments or international bodies do not acknowledge it as a sovereign state.
United Nations Membership Formal membership in the United Nations, which requires approval by the UN General Assembly and Security Council but does not require recognition by every UN member state.
Associated State A self-governing territory that conducts its own internal affairs but maintains a formal free-association relationship with another sovereign state, often for defense or foreign relations.
Sovereign Non-State Entity An entity recognized as having international legal personality and diplomatic relations but that does not claim traditional statehood or defined national territory.
Not every place that calls itself a country is internationally recognized as one. Around the world, some territories have their own governments, borders, and populations but lack full international recognition, often because of political disputes or competing territorial claims.
The State of Palestine is one of the most widely recognized partially recognized entities in the world. It was declared in 1988 and is currently recognized by a majority of United Nations member states, though it is not a full UN member. The United Nations grants Palestine non-member observer state status, and its claimed territory—primarily the West Bank and Gaza—is designated by the UN as occupied. Disputes over sovereignty and recognition remain unresolved.
Kurdistan refers to a culturally and ethnically Kurdish region spanning parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. While no internationally recognized Kurdish state exists, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq exercises a high degree of political autonomy. Elsewhere, Kurdish regions remain under the sovereignty of existing states. Despite longstanding calls for independence or expanded autonomy, Kurdistan is not recognized as a sovereign country by the United Nations or its member states.
Catalonia is an autonomous region within Spain that held an independence referendum in 2017. Following the declaration of independence by regional authorities, the Spanish government dissolved Catalonia’s regional parliament and imposed direct rule. No United Nations member state recognized Catalonia as an independent country, and it remains an integral part of Spain under international law.
