Exactly how many countries are there in the world at present? It shouldn’t be a difficult question to answer but still people find it confusing because the number of countries keeps on changing. The number of countries in the World changes not only because nations merge and divide but also with the definition of what we see as a country. Let’s discuss this number. To begin with, the short answer:
At present there are a total of 195 countries in the world.
This includes 193 member states of the United nations plus two observer states (The Vatican and Palestine).
Kosovo and Taiwan are two more countries but their status of full nationhood is disputed. So, it’s up to you whether you want to count them in or not.
Now that we have the short answer, let’s go in a bit of details.
How Many Countries are There in the World?
For counting purpose, we can easily categorize world’s countries in the following groups:
Member States of the United Nations
As we know, the UN is the intergovernmental organization whose job is to maintain peace in the world, to oversee the human rights and to provide humanitarian assistance. Thankfully almost all of the world’s countries are member of the UN.
The newest member country of the UN is South Sudan (became a member in 2011)
| Member Country of the UN | Became Member on |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 19 November 1946 |
| Albania | 14 December 1955 |
| Algeria | 8 October 1962 |
| Andorra | 28 July 1993 |
| Angola | 1 December 1976 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 11 November 1981 |
| Argentina | 24 October 1945 |
| Armenia | 2 March 1992 |
| Australia | 1 November 1945 |
| Austria | 14 December 1955 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 March 1992 |
| Bahamas | 18 September 1973 |
| Bahrain | 21 September 1971 |
| Bangladesh | 17 September 1974 |
| Barbados | 9 December 1966 |
| Belarus | 24 October 1945 |
| Belgium | 27 December 1945 |
| Belize | 25 September 1981 |
| Benin | 20 September 1960 |
| Bhutan | 21 September 1971 |
| Bolivia | 14 November 1945 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 22 May 1992 |
| Botswana | 17 October 1966 |
| Brazil | 24 October 1945 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 21 September 1984 |
| Bulgaria | 14 December 1955 |
| Burkina Faso | 20 September 1960 |
| Burundi | 18 September 1962 |
| Cambodia | 14 December 1955 |
| Cameroon | 20 September 1960 |
| Canada | 9 November 1945 |
| Cape Verde | 16 September 1975 |
| Central African Republic | 20 September 1960 |
| Chad | 20 September 1960 |
| Chile | 24 October 1945 |
| China | 24 October 1945 |
| Colombia | 5 November 1945 |
| Comoros | 12 November 1975 |
| Republic of the Congo | 20 September 1960 |
| Costa Rica | 2 November 1945 |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 20 September 1960 |
| Croatia | 22 May 1992 |
| Cuba | 24 October 1945 |
| Cyprus | 20 September 1960 |
| Czechia (Czech Republic) | 19 January 1993 |
| Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | 17 September 1991 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 20 September 1960 |
| Denmark | 24 October 1945 |
| Djibouti | 20 September 1977 |
| Dominica | 18 December 1978 |
| Dominican Republic | 24 October 1945 |
| Ecuador | 21 December 1945 |
| Egypt | 24 October 1945 |
| El Salvador | 24 October 1945 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 12 November 1968 |
| Eritrea | 28 May 1993 |
| Estonia | 17 September 1991 |
| Ethiopia | 13 November 1945 |
| Fiji | 13 October 1970 |
| Finland | 14 December 1955 |
| France | 24 October 1945 |
| Gabon | 20 September 1960 |
| Gambia | 21 September 1965 |
| Georgia | 31 July 1992 |
| Germany | 18 September 1973 |
| Ghana | 8 March 1957 |
| Greece | 25 October 1945 |
| Grenada | 17 September 1974 |
| Guatemala | 21 November 1945 |
| Guinea | 12 December 1958 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 17 September 1974 |
| Guyana | 20 September 1966 |
| Haiti | 24 October 1945 |
| Honduras | 17 December 1945 |
| Hungary | 14 December 1955 |
| Iceland | 19 November 1946 |
| India | 30 October 1945 |
| Indonesia | 28 September 1950 |
| Iran | 24 October 1945 |
| Iraq | 21 December 1945 |
| Ireland | 14 December 1955 |
| Israel | 11 May 1949 |
| Italy | 14 December 1955 |
| Jamaica | 18 September 1962 |
| Japan | 18 December 1956 |
| Jordan | 14 December 1955 |
| Kazakhstan | 2 March 1992 |
| Kenya | 16 December 1963 |
| Kiribati | 14 September 1999 |
| Kuwait | 14 May 1963 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2 March 1992 |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 14 December 1955 |
| Latvia | 17 September 1991 |
| Lebanon | 24 October 1945 |
| Lesotho | 17 October 1966 |
| Liberia | 2 November 1945 |
| Libya | 14 December 1955 |
| Liechtenstein | 18 September 1990 |
| Lithuania | 17 September 1991 |
| Luxembourg | 24 October 1945 |
| Madagascar | 20 September 1960 |
| Malawi | 1 December 1964 |
| Malaysia | 17 September 1957 |
| Maldives | 21 September 1965 |
| Mali | 28 September 1960 |
| Malta | 1 December 1964 |
| Marshall Islands | 17 September 1991 |
| Mauritania | 27 October 1961 |
| Mauritius | 24 April 1968 |
| Mexico | 7 November 1945 |
| Micronesia | 17 September 1991 |
| Monaco | 28 May 1993 |
| Mongolia | 27 October 1961 |
| Montenegro | 28 June 2006 |
| Morocco | 12 November 1956 |
| Mozambique | 16 September 1975 |
| Myanmar | 19 April 1948 |
| Namibia | 23 April 1990 |
| Nauru | 14 September 1999 |
| Nepal | 14 December 1955 |
| Netherlands | 10 December 1945 |
| New Zealand | 24 October 1945 |
| Nicaragua | 24 October 1945 |
| Niger | 20 September 1960 |
| Nigeria | 7 October 1960 |
| Norway | 27 November 1945 |
| Oman | 7 October 1971 |
| Pakistan | 30 September 1947 |
| Palau | 15 December 1994 |
| Panama | 13 November 1945 |
| Papua New Guinea | 10 October 1975 |
| Paraguay | 24 October 1945 |
| Peru | 31 October 1945 |
| Philippines | 24 October 1945 |
| Poland | 24 October 1945 |
| Portugal | 14 December 1955 |
| Qatar | 21 September 1971 |
| Republic of Korea | 17 September 1991 |
| Republic of Moldova | 2 March 1992 |
| Romania | 14 December 1955 |
| Russian Federation | 24 October 1945 |
| Rwanda | 18 September 1962 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 23 September 1983 |
| Saint Lucia | 18 September 1979 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 16 September 1980 |
| Samoa | 15 December 1976 |
| San Marino | 2 March 1992 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 16 September 1975 |
| Saudi Arabia | 24 October 1945 |
| Senegal | 28 September 1960 |
| Serbia | 1 November 2000 |
| Seychelles | 21 September 1976 |
| Sierra Leone | 27 September 1961 |
| Singapore | 21 September 1965 |
| Slovakia | 19 January 1993 |
| Slovenia | 22 May 1992 |
| Solomon Islands | 19 September 1978 |
| Somalia | 20 September 1960 |
| South Africa | 7 November 1945 |
| South Sudan | 14 July 2011 |
| Spain | 14 December 1955 |
| Sri Lanka | 14 December 1955 |
| Sudan | 12 November 1956 |
| Suriname | 4 December 1975 |
| Swaziland | 24 September 1968 |
| Switzerland | 10 September 2002 |
| Sweden | 19 November 1946 |
| Syria | 24 October 1945 |
| Tajikistan | 2 March 1992 |
| Thailand | 16 December 1946 |
| Republic of Macedonia | 8 April 1993 |
| Timor Leste | 27 September 2002 |
| Togo | 20 September 1960 |
| Tonga | 14 September 1999 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 18 September 1962 |
| Tunisia | 12 November 1956 |
| Turkey | 24 October 1945 |
| Turkmenistan | 2 March 1992 |
| Tuvalu | 5 September 2000 |
| Uganda | 25 October 1962 |
| Ukraine | 24 October 1945 |
| United Arab Emirates | 9 December 1971 |
| United Kingdom | 24 October 1945 |
| United of Republic of Tanzania | 14 December 1961 |
| United States | 24 October 1945 |
| Uruguay | 18 December 1945 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 March 1992 |
| Vanuatu | 15 September 1981 |
| Venezuela | 15 November 1945 |
| Vietnam | 20 September 1977 |
| Yemen | 30 September 1947 |
| Zambia | 1 December 1964 |
| Zimbabwe | 25 August 1980 |
Observers in the United Nations
The United Nations General Assembly sometimes invite non-member states/organizations to participate in the UN’s work without being a full and formal member. Sometimes, a country may willingly not become the member and choose to remain observer. Switzerland, for example, remained an observer state since 1948 until it took membership of the UN on 10 September 2002.
At present the UN has two observer states:
- Holy See (The Vatican)
- Palestine
Countries with Disputed Status
A country is not counted until enough number of world’s nations recognize that country.
Republic of Kosovo
The Republic of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. As of 2 March 2020, 97 out of 193 member states of the United Nations recognize Republic of Kosovo as a country.
Taiwan
After Chinese Civil War, China got split into two self-governing territories: People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC) or Taiwan. Taiwan‘s status as country of not yet confirmed.
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