How many countries are there in the world?

There are 193 UN member states and 2 UN observer states (Vatican City and Palestine), giving 195 widely recognised countries. Including dependent territories, partially recognised states, and other entities, the total rises to around 249–250 depending on the classification system. The most recent UN member state is South Sudan, which joined on 14 July 2011.

The answer depends on your definition of "country." The UN count (193) excludes observer states, territories, and disputed regions. The ISO 3166-1 list has 249 entries including territories. The World Bank tracks 218 economies. Sports bodies like FIFA (211) and the IOC (206) use their own criteria based on autonomy in international competition. None of these systems is wrong — they serve different purposes.

South Sudan became the world's newest internationally recognised country and the 193rd UN member state on 9 July 2011, following an independence referendum in January 2011 in which 98.8% of voters chose separation from Sudan. The process was supported by the international community and the UN, making it a rare smooth accession. Before South Sudan, Montenegro (2006) and Timor-Leste (2002) were the most recent new UN members.

Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) functions as an independent state with its own elected government, military, currency, passport, and foreign relations — but is not a UN member and is recognised diplomatically by only 12 UN member states (as of 2024). Most countries maintain unofficial relations through trade offices such as the American Institute in Taiwan. Taiwan's status is disputed because the People's Republic of China claims sovereignty over it under the "One China" policy, and most countries choose not to formally contradict this to preserve trade and diplomatic ties with Beijing.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 and is recognised by 101 UN member states (including the US, UK, Germany, and France), but not by Russia, China, Serbia, India, Brazil, or 5 EU member states (Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Cyprus). It is not a UN member because Russia and China have vetoed Security Council approval. Kosovo is a member of the IMF, World Bank, and FIFA, and competes in the Olympics under its own flag since 2016.

Yes. Vatican City (the Holy See) is a fully sovereign state under international law — the world's smallest by both area (0.44 km²) and population (~800). It is a UN Permanent Observer State, maintains formal diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries, and issues its own passports and currency (the euro, under a monetary agreement with the EU). It is not a UN member by choice, not exclusion — it prefers neutrality. The population density of Monaco exceeds Vatican City's despite Monaco being larger in area.

Africa has 54 sovereign states — more than any other continent — all of which are UN members. The African Union has 55 members, including the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), which is not a UN member but is recognised by about 45 countries. The most recent African country to become independent was South Sudan (2011), before which Eritrea (1993) was the last. Africa's 54 countries span a huge range of sizes — from Algeria (the largest, 2.38 million km²) to Seychelles (455 km²) and populations from Nigeria (242 million) to Seychelles (100,000).

Europe has 44 sovereign states that are UN members, plus Kosovo (partially recognised) and Vatican City (UN observer), for 46 widely counted countries. The Council of Europe has 46 members (after Russia's expulsion in 2022). The European Union has 27 member states. Europe's micro-states — Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Andorra — are all fully sovereign despite their tiny size.

Approximately 50 UN member states have populations below 1 million. These include island nations in the Pacific (Palau ~18K, Nauru ~10K, Tuvalu ~11K, Marshall Islands ~42K), the Caribbean (Saint Kitts & Nevis ~47K, Dominica ~73K), and European micro-states (Vatican City ~800, San Marino ~34K, Liechtenstein ~39K, Monaco ~39K). Together these 50 countries account for less than 0.1% of world population — fewer people than the city of Nairobi. See the full countries by population table.

Several entities function as states but lack UN membership: Vatican City and Palestine are observer states; Kosovo (recognised by 101 states) and Taiwan (recognised by 12 states) are blocked by vetoes; Western Sahara, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Northern Cyprus have limited recognition. Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing in free association with New Zealand and are UN members despite not being fully independent — a special category. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) is a member of the African Union but not the UN.

Yes — the count has changed continuously since 1900 and could change again. Ongoing situations to watch: Scotland (independence referendum debated within the UK), New Caledonia (French Pacific territory, held three independence referendums 2018–2021, all failing narrowly), Western Sahara (final status unresolved since Spanish withdrawal in 1975), Kosovo's pursuit of broader recognition, and any future referendum in Catalonia. Conversely, states can also dissolve — as with Yugoslavia (1991–2006) and the Soviet Union (1991).

The World Bank tracks 218 economies — more than the 193 UN members — because it includes territories with significant and distinct economic data: Hong Kong SAR (population 7.5M, GDP $360B), Macao SAR, Puerto Rico, West Bank & Gaza, the Faroe Islands, Kosovo, and several Pacific territories. The World Bank uses economic rather than political criteria. Its data is the basis for most international development indicators, including the population data on this site.