How Many Countries Are There in the World?
Updated November 10, 2026
There are 193 member states of the United Nations and 2 observer states, the Holy See and Palestine, which gives the widely used total of 195. Lists that also include territories, such as the ISO 3166 country code list, have about 250 entries.
The three totals
| Total | What is counted | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| 193 | Member states of the United Nations | The UN, many atlases, strict country counters |
| 195 | The 193 members plus the Holy See and Palestine, the two permanent observer states | Most news articles and general references |
| 249 | Every entry with an ISO 3166-1 code, including territories such as Hong Kong, Greenland and Puerto Rico | Software, shipping forms, many travel apps |
None of these is wrong. They answer different questions. The UN list answers which states are members of the UN. The ISO list answers which places need their own code in a database, which is why it includes uninhabited islands and Antarctica.
UN members by continent
Under the classification used on this site, the 193 UN members are spread as follows. Countries that span two continents are placed in one: Russia in Europe, Turkey and Kazakhstan in Asia, Egypt in Africa.
| Continent | UN member states |
|---|---|
| Africa | 54 |
| Asia | 46 |
| Europe | 44 |
| North America | 23 |
| Oceania | 14 |
| South America | 12 |
Places that are often argued about
- Taiwan has its own ISO code and passport but is not a UN member. It counts under the all-inclusive rule.
- Kosovo is recognised by about half of UN members and is not a UN member. It has no official ISO code; this site lists it under the all-inclusive rule.
- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are countries of the United Kingdom, which is one UN member.
- Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions of China with their own ISO codes and border controls.
- Greenland and the Faroe Islands belong to the Kingdom of Denmark; Puerto Rico and Guam are territories of the United States.
Which total should you use for your own count?
Use 193 or 195 if you want a number other people will accept without discussion. Use the longer list if you want credit for places that feel like separate destinations, as Hong Kong or Greenland do. What matters is to say which list you used: 60 of 193 and 60 of 249 are very different achievements.
Try it on your own map
Questions and answers
- Is it 195 or 197 countries?
- 195 is the 193 UN members plus the two observer states. Totals of 197 usually add Taiwan and Kosovo. Both figures are used in good faith; they follow different definitions.
- What is the newest country?
- South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan in July 2011 and joined the United Nations the same month as its 193rd member.
- Is Antarctica a country?
- No. Antarctica has no government or permanent population and is managed under the Antarctic Treaty. It has an ISO code, so it appears on the all-inclusive list and can be marked on the map.