How Many Countries Are There in the World?

There are 195 countries in the world today: 193 UN member states and 2 observer states. See the complete list with population, capital, and continent.

There are currently 195 countries in the world.

193 are member states of the United Nations. 2 are observer states (Vatican City and Palestine).

Explore World Statistics

Dive deeper into country and city data with our specialized rankings and comparison tools.

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Largest Countries by Area

Top 50 countries ranked by total land area, from Russia to the smallest nations.

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Most Populous Countries

Top 50 countries by population. India, China, and the most populated nations worldwide.

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Largest Cities in the World

Top 100 cities ranked by population. Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai and more megacities.

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Country Rankings

Compare countries by GDP, life expectancy, literacy rate, and 15+ other indicators.

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Compare Countries

Side-by-side comparison of any two countries across dozens of indicators.

What Counts as a "Country"?

The most widely accepted count of countries in the world is 195. This number includes 193 member states of the United Nations and 2 observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine. However, this number can vary depending on the source, as some organizations count differently based on criteria like sovereignty, recognition, and self-governance.

UN Member States (193)

The United Nations has 193 member states. The most recent country to join was South Sudan in 2011. To become a UN member state, a country must be accepted by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Security Council.

Observer States (2)

The Holy See and the State of Palestine are permanent observer states at the United Nations. They can participate in General Assembly sessions and maintain permanent missions at UN headquarters, but they cannot vote on resolutions.

Territories and Dependencies

In addition to the 195 countries, there are approximately 4 territories and dependencies around the world. These are regions that are governed by or politically associated with another country. Examples include Puerto Rico (United States), French Polynesia (France), and the British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom).

Disputed and Unrecognized Territories

Several territories claim independence but are not universally recognized. These include Taiwan (recognized by about 13 UN members), Kosovo (recognized by over 100 countries), Western Sahara, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Northern Cyprus, among others. The total count of countries can vary based on which of these entities are included.

Complete List of Countries

250 countries

#	Country	Region	Population
1	Afghanistan	South Asia	49,474,805
2	Akrotiri	Europe	—
3	Albania	Europe	2,551,837
4	Algeria	Africa	47,735,685
5	American Samoa	Australia-Oceania	43,268
6	Andorra	Europe	85,370
7	Angola	Africa	38,984,796
8	Anguilla	Central America and Caribbean	19,416
9	Antigua and Barbuda	Central America and Caribbean	102,634
10	Argentina	South America	45,418,098
11	Armenia	Middle East	2,963,837
12	Aruba	Central America and Caribbean	125,063
13	Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Australia-Oceania	—
14	Australia	Australia-Oceania	27,490,921
15	Austria	Europe	9,174,390
16	Azerbaijan	Middle East	10,694,370
17	Bahrain	Middle East	1,566,888
18	Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Palmyra Atoll	Australia-Oceania	—
19	Bangladesh	South Asia	174,370,536
20	Barbados	Central America and Caribbean	304,139
21	Belarus	Europe	9,460,972
22	Belgium	Europe	11,960,170
23	Belize	Central America and Caribbean	421,960
24	Benin	Africa	15,186,090
25	Bermuda	North America	72,800
26	Bhutan	South Asia	892,877
27	Bolivia	South America	12,436,103
28	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	3,653,499
29	Botswana	Africa	2,521,534
30	Brazil	South America	221,359,387
31	British Indian Ocean Territory	South Asia	—
32	British Virgin Islands	Central America and Caribbean	40,102
33	Brunei	East and Southeast Asia	491,900
34	Bulgaria	Europe	6,737,997
35	Burkina Faso	Africa	23,490,300
36	Burma	East and Southeast Asia	57,931,718
37	Burundi	Africa	13,590,102
38	Cabo Verde	Africa	611,014
39	Cambodia	East and Southeast Asia	17,230,333
40	Cameroon	Africa	31,518,954
41	Canada	North America	39,187,155
42	Cayman Islands	Central America and Caribbean	66,653
43	Central African Republic	Africa	5,750,570
44	Chad	Africa	19,674,004
45	Chile	South America	19,091,343
46	China	East and Southeast Asia	1,407,181,209
47	Christmas Island	Australia-Oceania	1,692
48	Clipperton Island	North America	—
49	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Australia-Oceania	593
50	Colombia	South America	49,842,298
51	Comoros	Africa	911,707
52	Congo (Brazzaville)	Africa	6,097,665
53	Cook Islands	Australia-Oceania	7,592
54	Coral Sea Islands	Australia-Oceania	—
55	Costa Rica	Central America and Caribbean	5,304,932
56	Côte d'Ivoire	Africa	31,855,971
57	Croatia	Europe	4,071,208
58	Cuba	Central America and Caribbean	10,059,519
59	Curacao	Central America and Caribbean	153,289
60	Cyprus	Europe	1,332,293
61	Czechia	Europe	10,838,703
62	Denmark	Europe	6,051,491
63	Dhekelia	Europe	—
64	Djibouti	Africa	1,013,703
65	Dominica	Central America and Caribbean	74,661
66	DRC	Africa	119,038,825
67	Ecuador	South America	18,479,841
68	Egypt	Africa	112,870,457
69	El Salvador	Central America and Caribbean	6,334,723
70	Equatorial Guinea	Africa	1,795,834
71	Eritrea	Africa	6,416,435
72	Estonia	Europe	1,340,478
73	Eswatini	Africa	1,137,268
74	Ethiopia	Africa	121,372,632
75	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	South America	3,142
76	Faroe Islands	Europe	52,933
77	Federated States of Micronesia	Australia-Oceania	99,603
78	Fiji	Australia-Oceania	951,611
79	Finland	Europe	5,550,449
80	France	Europe	68,512,806
81	French Polynesia	Australia-Oceania	305,507
82	Gabon	Africa	2,513,738
83	Gaza, Gaza Strip	Middle East	2,184,652
84	Georgia	Middle East	4,900,961
85	Germany	Europe	84,012,284
86	Ghana	Africa	35,336,133
87	Gibraltar	Europe	29,733
88	Greece	Europe	10,424,536
89	Greenland	North America	57,751
90	Grenada	Central America and Caribbean	114,621
91	Guam	Australia-Oceania	169,532
92	Guatemala	Central America and Caribbean	18,255,216
93	Guernsey	Europe	67,923
94	Guinea	Africa	14,374,590
95	Guinea-Bissau	Africa	2,132,325
96	Guyana	South America	794,099
97	Haiti	Central America and Caribbean	11,898,812
98	Holy See (Vatican City)	Europe	1,000
99	Honduras	Central America and Caribbean	9,529,188
100	Hong Kong	East and Southeast Asia	7,305,556

101	Hungary	Europe	9,855,745
102	Iceland	Europe	364,036
103	India	South Asia	1,419,316,933
104	Indonesia	East and Southeast Asia	283,587,097
105	Iran	Middle East	89,177,357
106	Iraq	Middle East	42,917,742
107	Ireland	Europe	5,233,461
108	Isle of Man	Europe	92,666
109	Israel	Middle East	9,402,617
110	Italy	Europe	60,924,851
111	Jamaica	Central America and Caribbean	2,938,503
112	Jan Mayen	Europe	—
113	Japan	East and Southeast Asia	123,201,945
114	Jersey	Europe	103,944
115	Jordan	Middle East	11,312,507
116	Kazakhstan	Central Asia	20,432,662
117	Kenya	Africa	55,751,717
118	Kiribati	Australia-Oceania	116,545
119	Kosovo	Europe	1,977,093
120	Kuwait	Middle East	3,172,511
121	Kyrgyzstan	Central Asia	6,219,751
122	Laos	East and Southeast Asia	7,953,556
123	Latvia	Europe	1,888,439
124	Lebanon	Middle East	5,364,482
125	Lesotho	Africa	2,222,962
126	Liberia	Africa	5,563,541
127	Libya	Africa	7,361,263
128	Liechtenstein	Europe	40,547
129	Lithuania	Europe	2,815,687
130	Luxembourg	Europe	671,254
131	Macau	East and Southeast Asia	644,426
132	Madagascar	Africa	31,345,040
133	Malawi	Africa	21,763,309
134	Malaysia	East and Southeast Asia	34,905,275
135	Maldives	South Asia	388,858
136	Mali	Africa	22,634,423
137	Malta	Europe	521,828
138	Marshall Islands	Australia-Oceania	82,011
139	Mauritania	Africa	5,202,109
140	Mauritius	Africa	1,311,375
141	Mexico	North America	130,739,927
142	Moldova	Europe	3,578,930
143	Monaco	Europe	32,047
144	Mongolia	East and Southeast Asia	3,281,676
145	Montenegro	Europe	599,849
146	Montserrat	Central America and Caribbean	5,468
147	Morocco	Africa	37,387,585
148	Mozambique	Africa	34,206,144
149	Namibia	Africa	2,852,777
150	Nauru	Australia-Oceania	9,930
151	Navassa Island	Central America and Caribbean	—
152	Nepal	South Asia	31,334,402
153	Netherlands	Europe	17,833,885
154	New Caledonia	Australia-Oceania	307,612
155	New Zealand	Australia-Oceania	5,161,211
156	Nicaragua	Central America and Caribbean	6,739,380
157	Niger	Africa	27,322,555
158	Nigeria	Africa	244,344,065
159	Niue	Australia-Oceania	1,815
160	Norfolk Island	Australia-Oceania	1,739
161	Northern Mariana Islands	Australia-Oceania	51,118
162	North Korea	East and Southeast Asia	26,402,841
163	North Macedonia	Europe	2,137,556
164	Norway	Europe	5,509,733
165	Oman	Middle East	3,969,824
166	Pakistan	South Asia	257,047,044
167	Palau	Australia-Oceania	21,947
168	Panama	Central America and Caribbean	4,536,008
169	Papua New Guinea	East and Southeast Asia	10,273,996
170	Paracel Islands	East and Southeast Asia	2,230
171	Paraguay	South America	7,604,044
172	Peru	South America	32,768,614
173	Philippines	East and Southeast Asia	118,277,063
174	Pitcairn Islands	Australia-Oceania	50
175	Poland	Europe	38,746,310
176	Portugal	Europe	10,194,277
177	Puerto Rico	Central America and Caribbean	2,984,841
178	Qatar	Middle East	2,568,426
179	Romania	Europe	18,148,155
180	Russia	Central Asia	140,134,279
181	Rwanda	Africa	13,623,302
182	Saint Barthelemy	Central America and Caribbean	7,079
183	Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha	Africa	7,943
184	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Central America and Caribbean	55,434
185	Saint Lucia	Central America and Caribbean	168,462
186	Saint Martin	Central America and Caribbean	33,093
187	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	North America	5,070
188	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Central America and Caribbean	100,647
189	Samoa	Australia-Oceania	210,223
190	San Marino	Europe	35,291
191	Sao Tome and Principe	Africa	223,561
192	Saudi Arabia	Middle East	36,544,431
193	Senegal	Africa	18,847,519
194	Serbia	Europe	6,652,212
195	Seychelles	Africa	98,187
196	Sierra Leone	Africa	9,331,203
197	Singapore	East and Southeast Asia	6,080,545
198	Sint Maarten	Central America and Caribbean	46,738
199	Slovakia	Europe	5,563,649
200	Slovenia	Europe	2,097,893
201	Solomon Islands	Australia-Oceania	738,774
202	Somalia	Africa	20,324,160
203	South Africa	Africa	61,089,926
204	South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands	South America	—
205	South Korea	East and Southeast Asia	51,486,343
206	South Sudan	Africa	12,703,714
207	Spain	Europe	47,280,433
208	Spratly Islands	East and Southeast Asia	—
209	Sri Lanka	South Asia	22,050,561
210	Sudan	Africa	50,467,278
211	Suriname	South America	653,605
212	Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago)	Europe	2,556
213	Sweden	Europe	10,643,745
214	Switzerland	Europe	8,925,741
215	Syria	Middle East	24,261,882
216	Taiwan	East and Southeast Asia	23,600,776
217	Tajikistan	Central Asia	10,593,876
218	Tanzania	Africa	69,145,464
219	Thailand	East and Southeast Asia	70,025,248
220	The Bahamas	Central America and Caribbean	415,306
221	The Dominican	Central America and Caribbean	10,899,292
222	The Gambia	Africa	2,523,327
223	Timor-Leste	East and Southeast Asia	1,404,785
224	Togo	Africa	9,143,439
225	Tokelau	Australia-Oceania	2,453
226	Tonga	Australia-Oceania	104,519
227	Trinidad and Tobago	Central America and Caribbean	1,410,170
228	Tunisia	Africa	11,962,995
229	Turkey	Middle East	84,625,585
230	Turkmenistan	Central Asia	5,744,151
231	Turks and Caicos Islands	Central America and Caribbean	60,439
232	Tuvalu	Australia-Oceania	11,824
233	Uganda	Africa	50,863,850
234	Ukraine	Europe	35,661,826
235	United Arab Emirates	Middle East	10,093,593
236	United Kingdom	Europe	68,751,311
237	United States	North America	338,016,259
238	Uruguay	South America	3,449,444
239	Uzbekistan	Central Asia	37,015,151
240	Vanuatu	Australia-Oceania	318,007
241	Venezuela	South America	31,755,435
242	Vietnam	East and Southeast Asia	106,688,169
243	Virgin Islands	Central America and Caribbean	103,792
244	Wake Island	Australia-Oceania	—
245	Wallis and Futuna	Australia-Oceania	15,998
246	West Bank	Middle East	3,310,554
247	Western Sahara	Africa	652,271
248	Yemen	Middle East	34,505,496
249	Zambia	Africa	22,021,971
250	Zimbabwe	Africa	17,472,752

Countries by Continent

Africa56 countries Australia-Oceania30 countries Central America and Caribbean33 countries Central Asia6 countries East and Southeast Asia22 countries Europe54 countries Middle East19 countries North America7 countries South America14 countries South Asia9 countries

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countries are there in the world in 2026?

As of 2026, there are 195 countries in the world. This includes 193 member states of the United Nations and 2 observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine.

Why do some say 193 and others 195?

The number 193 refers only to UN member states. The number 195 also includes the 2 non-member observer states: the Holy See and Palestine. Some counts go even higher when including self-governing territories, disputed regions, or partially recognized states like Taiwan and Kosovo.

What is the difference between a country and a territory?

A country (or sovereign state) has full political independence and self-governance, recognized by other nations. A territory is a region that belongs to or is administered by another country. Territories may have some degree of self-governance but ultimately fall under the sovereignty of another nation.

What is the newest country in the world?

The newest country in the world is South Sudan, which declared independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. It became the 193rd member of the United Nations on July 14, 2011, making it both the newest country and the newest UN member state.

Are there any countries not recognized by the UN?

Yes, several entities function as independent states but are not UN members. Taiwan (Republic of China) is the most notable example, functioning as a fully independent state with its own government, military, and economy, but recognized by only about 13 UN member states. Kosovo, Western Sahara, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Northern Cyprus are other examples of partially recognized or unrecognized states.

Largest Countries by Area →Most Populous Countries →Largest Cities in the World →Country Rankings →Compare Countries →Country Indexes →

What Counts as a "Country"?

Territories and Dependencies

Disputed and Unrecognized Territories

Complete List of Countries

250 countries

#	Country	Region	Population
1	Afghanistan	South Asia	49,474,805
2	Akrotiri	Europe	—
3	Albania	Europe	2,551,837
4	Algeria	Africa	47,735,685
5	American Samoa	Australia-Oceania	43,268
6	Andorra	Europe	85,370
7	Angola	Africa	38,984,796
8	Anguilla	Central America and Caribbean	19,416
9	Antigua and Barbuda	Central America and Caribbean	102,634
10	Argentina	South America	45,418,098
11	Armenia	Middle East	2,963,837
12	Aruba	Central America and Caribbean	125,063
13	Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Australia-Oceania	—
14	Australia	Australia-Oceania	27,490,921
15	Austria	Europe	9,174,390
16	Azerbaijan	Middle East	10,694,370
17	Bahrain	Middle East	1,566,888
18	Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Palmyra Atoll	Australia-Oceania	—
19	Bangladesh	South Asia	174,370,536
20	Barbados	Central America and Caribbean	304,139
21	Belarus	Europe	9,460,972
22	Belgium	Europe	11,960,170
23	Belize	Central America and Caribbean	421,960
24	Benin	Africa	15,186,090
25	Bermuda	North America	72,800
26	Bhutan	South Asia	892,877
27	Bolivia	South America	12,436,103
28	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	3,653,499
29	Botswana	Africa	2,521,534
30	Brazil	South America	221,359,387
31	British Indian Ocean Territory	South Asia	—
32	British Virgin Islands	Central America and Caribbean	40,102
33	Brunei	East and Southeast Asia	491,900
34	Bulgaria	Europe	6,737,997
35	Burkina Faso	Africa	23,490,300
36	Burma	East and Southeast Asia	57,931,718
37	Burundi	Africa	13,590,102
38	Cabo Verde	Africa	611,014
39	Cambodia	East and Southeast Asia	17,230,333
40	Cameroon	Africa	31,518,954
41	Canada	North America	39,187,155
42	Cayman Islands	Central America and Caribbean	66,653
43	Central African Republic	Africa	5,750,570
44	Chad	Africa	19,674,004
45	Chile	South America	19,091,343
46	China	East and Southeast Asia	1,407,181,209
47	Christmas Island	Australia-Oceania	1,692
48	Clipperton Island	North America	—
49	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Australia-Oceania	593
50	Colombia	South America	49,842,298
51	Comoros	Africa	911,707
52	Congo (Brazzaville)	Africa	6,097,665
53	Cook Islands	Australia-Oceania	7,592
54	Coral Sea Islands	Australia-Oceania	—
55	Costa Rica	Central America and Caribbean	5,304,932
56	Côte d'Ivoire	Africa	31,855,971
57	Croatia	Europe	4,071,208
58	Cuba	Central America and Caribbean	10,059,519
59	Curacao	Central America and Caribbean	153,289
60	Cyprus	Europe	1,332,293
61	Czechia	Europe	10,838,703
62	Denmark	Europe	6,051,491
63	Dhekelia	Europe	—
64	Djibouti	Africa	1,013,703
65	Dominica	Central America and Caribbean	74,661
66	DRC	Africa	119,038,825
67	Ecuador	South America	18,479,841
68	Egypt	Africa	112,870,457
69	El Salvador	Central America and Caribbean	6,334,723
70	Equatorial Guinea	Africa	1,795,834
71	Eritrea	Africa	6,416,435
72	Estonia	Europe	1,340,478
73	Eswatini	Africa	1,137,268
74	Ethiopia	Africa	121,372,632
75	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	South America	3,142
76	Faroe Islands	Europe	52,933
77	Federated States of Micronesia	Australia-Oceania	99,603
78	Fiji	Australia-Oceania	951,611
79	Finland	Europe	5,550,449
80	France	Europe	68,512,806
81	French Polynesia	Australia-Oceania	305,507
82	Gabon	Africa	2,513,738
83	Gaza, Gaza Strip	Middle East	2,184,652
84	Georgia	Middle East	4,900,961
85	Germany	Europe	84,012,284
86	Ghana	Africa	35,336,133
87	Gibraltar	Europe	29,733
88	Greece	Europe	10,424,536
89	Greenland	North America	57,751
90	Grenada	Central America and Caribbean	114,621
91	Guam	Australia-Oceania	169,532
92	Guatemala	Central America and Caribbean	18,255,216
93	Guernsey	Europe	67,923
94	Guinea	Africa	14,374,590
95	Guinea-Bissau	Africa	2,132,325
96	Guyana	South America	794,099
97	Haiti	Central America and Caribbean	11,898,812
98	Holy See (Vatican City)	Europe	1,000
99	Honduras	Central America and Caribbean	9,529,188
100	Hong Kong	East and Southeast Asia	7,305,556

101	Hungary	Europe	9,855,745
102	Iceland	Europe	364,036
103	India	South Asia	1,419,316,933
104	Indonesia	East and Southeast Asia	283,587,097
105	Iran	Middle East	89,177,357
106	Iraq	Middle East	42,917,742
107	Ireland	Europe	5,233,461
108	Isle of Man	Europe	92,666
109	Israel	Middle East	9,402,617
110	Italy	Europe	60,924,851
111	Jamaica	Central America and Caribbean	2,938,503
112	Jan Mayen	Europe	—
113	Japan	East and Southeast Asia	123,201,945
114	Jersey	Europe	103,944
115	Jordan	Middle East	11,312,507
116	Kazakhstan	Central Asia	20,432,662
117	Kenya	Africa	55,751,717
118	Kiribati	Australia-Oceania	116,545
119	Kosovo	Europe	1,977,093
120	Kuwait	Middle East	3,172,511
121	Kyrgyzstan	Central Asia	6,219,751
122	Laos	East and Southeast Asia	7,953,556
123	Latvia	Europe	1,888,439
124	Lebanon	Middle East	5,364,482
125	Lesotho	Africa	2,222,962
126	Liberia	Africa	5,563,541
127	Libya	Africa	7,361,263
128	Liechtenstein	Europe	40,547
129	Lithuania	Europe	2,815,687
130	Luxembourg	Europe	671,254
131	Macau	East and Southeast Asia	644,426
132	Madagascar	Africa	31,345,040
133	Malawi	Africa	21,763,309
134	Malaysia	East and Southeast Asia	34,905,275
135	Maldives	South Asia	388,858
136	Mali	Africa	22,634,423
137	Malta	Europe	521,828
138	Marshall Islands	Australia-Oceania	82,011
139	Mauritania	Africa	5,202,109
140	Mauritius	Africa	1,311,375
141	Mexico	North America	130,739,927
142	Moldova	Europe	3,578,930
143	Monaco	Europe	32,047
144	Mongolia	East and Southeast Asia	3,281,676
145	Montenegro	Europe	599,849
146	Montserrat	Central America and Caribbean	5,468
147	Morocco	Africa	37,387,585
148	Mozambique	Africa	34,206,144
149	Namibia	Africa	2,852,777
150	Nauru	Australia-Oceania	9,930
151	Navassa Island	Central America and Caribbean	—
152	Nepal	South Asia	31,334,402
153	Netherlands	Europe	17,833,885
154	New Caledonia	Australia-Oceania	307,612
155	New Zealand	Australia-Oceania	5,161,211
156	Nicaragua	Central America and Caribbean	6,739,380
157	Niger	Africa	27,322,555
158	Nigeria	Africa	244,344,065
159	Niue	Australia-Oceania	1,815
160	Norfolk Island	Australia-Oceania	1,739
161	Northern Mariana Islands	Australia-Oceania	51,118
162	North Korea	East and Southeast Asia	26,402,841
163	North Macedonia	Europe	2,137,556
164	Norway	Europe	5,509,733
165	Oman	Middle East	3,969,824
166	Pakistan	South Asia	257,047,044
167	Palau	Australia-Oceania	21,947
168	Panama	Central America and Caribbean	4,536,008
169	Papua New Guinea	East and Southeast Asia	10,273,996
170	Paracel Islands	East and Southeast Asia	2,230
171	Paraguay	South America	7,604,044
172	Peru	South America	32,768,614
173	Philippines	East and Southeast Asia	118,277,063
174	Pitcairn Islands	Australia-Oceania	50
175	Poland	Europe	38,746,310
176	Portugal	Europe	10,194,277
177	Puerto Rico	Central America and Caribbean	2,984,841
178	Qatar	Middle East	2,568,426
179	Romania	Europe	18,148,155
180	Russia	Central Asia	140,134,279
181	Rwanda	Africa	13,623,302
182	Saint Barthelemy	Central America and Caribbean	7,079
183	Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha	Africa	7,943
184	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Central America and Caribbean	55,434
185	Saint Lucia	Central America and Caribbean	168,462
186	Saint Martin	Central America and Caribbean	33,093
187	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	North America	5,070
188	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Central America and Caribbean	100,647
189	Samoa	Australia-Oceania	210,223
190	San Marino	Europe	35,291
191	Sao Tome and Principe	Africa	223,561
192	Saudi Arabia	Middle East	36,544,431
193	Senegal	Africa	18,847,519
194	Serbia	Europe	6,652,212
195	Seychelles	Africa	98,187
196	Sierra Leone	Africa	9,331,203
197	Singapore	East and Southeast Asia	6,080,545
198	Sint Maarten	Central America and Caribbean	46,738
199	Slovakia	Europe	5,563,649
200	Slovenia	Europe	2,097,893
201	Solomon Islands	Australia-Oceania	738,774
202	Somalia	Africa	20,324,160
203	South Africa	Africa	61,089,926
204	South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands	South America	—
205	South Korea	East and Southeast Asia	51,486,343
206	South Sudan	Africa	12,703,714
207	Spain	Europe	47,280,433
208	Spratly Islands	East and Southeast Asia	—
209	Sri Lanka	South Asia	22,050,561
210	Sudan	Africa	50,467,278
211	Suriname	South America	653,605
212	Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago)	Europe	2,556
213	Sweden	Europe	10,643,745
214	Switzerland	Europe	8,925,741
215	Syria	Middle East	24,261,882
216	Taiwan	East and Southeast Asia	23,600,776
217	Tajikistan	Central Asia	10,593,876
218	Tanzania	Africa	69,145,464
219	Thailand	East and Southeast Asia	70,025,248
220	The Bahamas	Central America and Caribbean	415,306
221	The Dominican	Central America and Caribbean	10,899,292
222	The Gambia	Africa	2,523,327
223	Timor-Leste	East and Southeast Asia	1,404,785
224	Togo	Africa	9,143,439
225	Tokelau	Australia-Oceania	2,453
226	Tonga	Australia-Oceania	104,519
227	Trinidad and Tobago	Central America and Caribbean	1,410,170
228	Tunisia	Africa	11,962,995
229	Turkey	Middle East	84,625,585
230	Turkmenistan	Central Asia	5,744,151
231	Turks and Caicos Islands	Central America and Caribbean	60,439
232	Tuvalu	Australia-Oceania	11,824
233	Uganda	Africa	50,863,850
234	Ukraine	Europe	35,661,826
235	United Arab Emirates	Middle East	10,093,593
236	United Kingdom	Europe	68,751,311
237	United States	North America	338,016,259
238	Uruguay	South America	3,449,444
239	Uzbekistan	Central Asia	37,015,151
240	Vanuatu	Australia-Oceania	318,007
241	Venezuela	South America	31,755,435
242	Vietnam	East and Southeast Asia	106,688,169
243	Virgin Islands	Central America and Caribbean	103,792
244	Wake Island	Australia-Oceania	—
245	Wallis and Futuna	Australia-Oceania	15,998
246	West Bank	Middle East	3,310,554
247	Western Sahara	Africa	652,271
248	Yemen	Middle East	34,505,496
249	Zambia	Africa	22,021,971
250	Zimbabwe	Africa	17,472,752

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countries are there in the world in 2026?

As of 2026, there are 195 countries in the world. This includes 193 member states of the United Nations and 2 observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine.

Why do some say 193 and others 195?

What is the difference between a country and a territory?

What is the newest country in the world?

Are there any countries not recognized by the UN?

How Many Countries Are There in the World?

Explore World Statistics

Largest Countries by Area

Most Populous Countries

Largest Cities in the World

Country Rankings

Compare Countries

What Counts as a "Country"?

UN Member States (193)

Observer States (2)

Territories and Dependencies

Disputed and Unrecognized Territories

Complete List of Countries

Countries by Continent

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Pages

How Many Countries Are There in the World?

Explore World Statistics

Largest Countries by Area

Most Populous Countries

Largest Cities in the World

Country Rankings

Compare Countries

What Counts as a "Country"?

UN Member States (193)

Observer States (2)

Territories and Dependencies

Disputed and Unrecognized Territories

Complete List of Countries

Countries by Continent

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Pages