How many countries are there in the world?

Short answer: 195. Longer answer: it depends on who is counting. Switch each group on or off to see where 193, 195, 197 and 200+ come from.

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Blue = counted under your current definition

195

The most commonly cited answer, used by most schools and atlases.

UN member states +193
Countries admitted to the United Nations. South Sudan (2011) was the most recent.
UN observer states +2
Vatican City (the Holy See) and Palestine take part in the UN without voting.
Kosovo +1
Declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Recognised by about 100 UN members, but not by Serbia, Russia, China, Spain and others.
Taiwan +1
Governs itself as the Republic of China. Formally recognised by only about a dozen UN members, though it runs its own government, military and passport.
Other self-declared states +5
Places with limited or no recognition such as Somaliland, Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria.

What makes a country a country?

International law's usual test comes from the 1933 Montevideo Convention: a state needs a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Taiwan meets all four on paper, yet most governments do not formally recognise it because of their relations with China.

In practice, UN membership is the closest thing to a membership card, since joining needs a recommendation from the Security Council, where any of the five permanent members can veto. That is why Kosovo (opposed by Russia and China) and Palestine (opposed by the United States) remain outside.

Browse every entry in the list of countries, or test yourself with the countries of the world quiz.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are there in the world?

The most common answer is 195: the 193 UN member states plus 2 observer states (Vatican City and Palestine). Including Kosovo and Taiwan gives 197.

How many countries does the United States recognise?

The US State Department lists 195 independent states, including Kosovo but not Palestine or Taiwan, which it treats differently.

What is the newest country in the world?

South Sudan, independent since July 9, 2011. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but is not a UN member.

Why isn't Greenland a country?

Greenland has broad self-government, but it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which handles its foreign affairs and defence. The same applies to many territories, such as Puerto Rico (United States) and French Guiana (France).

Are England, Scotland and Wales countries?

They are called countries, but internationally they form one sovereign state, the United Kingdom, which holds the UN seat. That is why they compete separately in football but not at the UN.