How many countries in the world in 2024?

UPDATED JANUARY 2024: If you ask how many countries in the world are there in 2024. Well, the answer is that technically speaking there are 197 countries in the world. From a travel perspective, you could argue there are 215 countries. I’ve visited them all! Although it’s pretty complicated, so let’s have a look.

My attempts at visiting every country in the world was a thousand times tougher than I ever expected. Before I could contemplate finishing the goal, I had to sit back and answer my own question. ‘How many countries are there in the world?“. “200 or so?’ I thought. It’s so tough to get a definitive answer. Bear with me.

Generally speaking, I was right. There are around 200 countries in the world. But ‘generally’ doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to become one of the few people to officially do it! So I had to delve a little deeper. And the answer to how many countries in the world was found somewhere from the United Nations list (193 recognised countries) and the FIFA football list (211 members). But how can you put an official number on it?

How many countries in the world?
How many countries in the world?

Table of contents

What is a country? What makes a country a country?

First of all, we need to think about what makes a country a country. Does it have to have a flag, a government, its own currency, a passport? It’s so difficult to decide. So let’s say this: an independent country is not only a self-governed nation with its own authorities. Furthermore, its status needs the international diplomatic recognition of sovereignty from at least some other sovereign countries. So you need to manage all your own affairs AND have other countries understand and recognise that you are indeed a country. Which stops me from declaring my apartment ‘johnnyland’ and it being an official country. Shame.

how many countries in the world
How many countries in the world? My google map pins after visiting every country in the world!

How Many Countries in the World? What Does FIFA Say?

Initially, being a huge football fan, I wanted to ask FIFA how many countries are there in the world. And then I could work off the FIFA list But as much fun as that would have been, it was just plain wrong. Football has more national teams than any other sport so that’s a great starting point too. And the federation ‘FIFA’ is a huge global body.

FIFA says there are  211 countries “and territories” across the world. So you see the issue here!

But, alas, politics still plays a part. For example, the UK is 1 country but FIFA used Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales as 4 separate ‘countries’. Despite all using the same British pound, same British passport, having the same British queen and all using the same British Government (albeit slightly differently). So without getting political (and coming from Northern Ireland that’s quite tough) the FIFA list isn’t strictly correct. So, scratch that. Onto the next one. The United Nations.

How many countries in the world?
How many countries in the world, and what is a country? Here I am in the Faroe Islands, which aren’t actually a country!

THE UNITED NATIONS SAY THERE ARE 193 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

The United Nations list is probably the best to work off. It’s pretty expansive. It’s not TOO political (more on that in a second). And if you’re recognized by the UN then realistically you’re pretty much a country. So they say they have 193 members. So that means there are 193 countries in the world, right? Not quite. The 193 United Nations list doesn’t include Kosovo, Palestine, Vatican City, or Taiwan.

Are Palestine and the Vatican City countries? Yes.

The UN also sees 2 permanent observer states in Palestine and Vatican City. Both of which I see as countries. Palestine, in particular, is one of my favorites. So that would make the count 193 + 2 =  195. So 195 countries in the world? Calm down sailor, we’re not there yet. That list still excludes Taiwan (recognized by 22 countries), and Kosovo (recognized by 109 other countries), so what to do?

Is Taiwan a country? Yes.

Taiwan is excluded because China claims ownership over Taiwan. The rest of the world doesn’t want to harm their relations with China due to all the trading opportunities and power, so they too cut ties in terms of recognising Taiwan as an independent country. Despite the fact that very much is a country. So that makes the final cut for sure. Incidentally, Taiwan is a brilliant place to visit, I’d massively recommend it.

Anyway, that brings us to 196 countries in the world. UN’s 193 countries list + Kosovo + Palestine, and now + Taiwan.

Is Kosovo a country? Yes.

Kosovo is a country. But it’s a political issue too. Since declaring itself independent from Serbia in 2008 it’s had a tough ride. Again without getting overly political, it’s recognized by countries such as the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and a lot more As well as being a member of the IMF, The World Bank, the IOC etc. Yet the countries that don’t recognize it includes Iraq, Iran, Angola, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mali, Nigeria, Russia, Syria and Sudan, so I have gone with including it in my list and I personally recognize Kosovo as a country, so that makes 197 countries in the world!

Hiking elephant mountain in Taipei
How many countries in the world? So, is Taiwan A Country? Yes. I’m on Elephant Mountain in Taipei, Taiwan here.

So there are 197 countries in the world?

Yes, kind of. There are 197 countries in the world if you are aligned with the technical aspects of things alone, rather than a practical sense. Can you say you’ve been to every country when you have that big block of Greenland on a map, staring back at you, chanting “you cheated and you know it, we’re not really Denmark“. Bearing that in mind, there are 197. But in the sense of pure travel, it’s more.

How many countries are there in the world
How many countries are there in the world? Here I am in Greenland, which is not technically a country. It belongs to Denmark.

So here’s the full list of EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD*

*according to the technical 197 country list that I initially visited, in the order I visited them:

  1. Republic of Ireland
  2. UK
  3. France
  4. The Netherlands
  5. Belgium
  6. USA
  7. Canada
  8. Thailand
  9. Laos
  10. Cambodia
  11. China
  12. Bangladesh
  13. India
  14. Nepal
  15. South Korea
  16. Vietnam
  17. Malaysia
  18. Singapore
  19. Japan
  20. The Philippines
  21. Brunei
  22. Indonesia
  23. East Timor
  24. Australia
  25. Sri Lanka
  26. Zimbabwe
  27. Zambia
  28. Botswana
  29. South Africa
  30. eSwatini/Swaziland
  31. Mozambique
  32. Malawi
  33. Tanzania
  34. Kenya
  35. Uganda
  36. Rwanda
  37. Ethiopia
  38. Somalia
  39. Djibouti
  40. Sudan
  41. Egypt
  42. Jordan
  43. Syria
  44. Lebanon
  45. Myanmar
  46. Taiwan
  47. North Korea
  48. Mongolia
  49. Russia
  50. Kazakhstan
  51. Finland
  52. Estonia
  53. Latvia
  54. Lithuania
  55. Belarus
  56. Ukraine
  57. Moldova
  58. Romania
  59. Bulgaria
  60. North Macedonia (previously Macedonia)
  61. Kosovo
  62. Greece
  63. Albania
  64. Montenegro
  65. Croatia
  66. Bosnia & Herzegovina
  67. Serbia
  68. Hungary
  69. Israel
  70. Palestine
  71. Italy
  72. Vatican City
  73. San Marino
  74. Switzerland
  75. Liechtenstein
  76. Slovenia
  77. Austria
  78. Slovakia
  79. Czech Republic
  80. Poland
  81. Germany
  82. Denmark
  83. Sweden
  84. Luxembourg
  85. Qatar
  86. Bhutan
  87. UAE
  88. Portugal
  89. Spain
  90. Andorra
  91. Monaco
  92. Iceland
  93. Papua New Guinea
  94. New Zealand
  95. Solomon Islands
  96. Vanuatu
  97. Fiji
  98. Tonga
  99. Samoa
  100. Kyrgyzstan
  101. Tajikistan
  102. Uzbekistan
  103. Iraq
  104. Maldives
  105. Iran
  106. Azerbaijan
  107. Georgia
  108. Armenia
  109. Turkey
  110. Malta
  111. Cyprus
  112. Mexico
  113. Belize
  114. Guatemala
  115. El Salvador
  116. Honduras
  117. Nicaragua
  118. Costa Rica
  119. Panama
  120. Brazil
  121. Uruguay
  122. Paraguay
  123. Venezuela
  124. Colombia
  125. Ecuador
  126. Peru
  127. Bolivia
  128. Argentina
  129. Chile

*Antarctica

  1. Suriname
  2. Guyana
  3. Trinidad and Tobago
  4. Grenada
  5. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  6. Saint Lucia
  7. Barbados
  8. Dominica
  9. Antigua and Barbuda
  10. St Kitts and Nevis
  11. Dominican Republic
  12. Haiti
  13. Cuba
  14. Bahamas
  15. Jamaica
  16. Bahrain
  17. Kuwait
  18. Algeria
  19. Tunisia
  20. South Sudan
  21. Democratic Republic of Congo
  22. Burundi
  23. Comoros
  24. Madagascar
  25. Seychelles
  26. Mauritius
  27. Lesotho
  28. Namibia
  29. Angola
  30. Republic of Congo
  31. Gabon
  32. Sao Tome and Principe
  33. Equatorial Guinea
  34. Cameroon
  35. The Central African Republic
  36. Chad
  37. Nigeria
  38. Benin
  39. Togo
  40. Ghana
  41. Ivory Coast
  42. Mali
  43. Burkina Faso
  44. Niger
  45. Liberia
  46. Sierra Leone
  47. Guinea
  48. Guinea-Bissau
  49. Senegal
  50. The Gambia
  51. Mauritania
  52. Morocco
  53. Cape Verde
  54. Libya
  55. Eritrea
  56. Afghanistan
  57. Turkmenistan
  58. Kiribati
  59. Tuvalu
  60. Marshall islands
  61. Nauru
  62. Palau
  63. Federated States of Micronesia
  64. Pakistan
  65. Oman
  66. Saudi Arabia
  67. Yemen
  68. Norway (COMPLETED MARCH 2017!)

So 197/197 countries of the world, I’ve kind of finished my goal. But you’re probably wondering where Greenland is? Where the British Virgin Islands are? This is where it gets a little tricky. So if you’ve only visited 197 countries, then have you really visited every country in the world? Not really, and here’s why!

If you want to know about how many countries in each of the 7 continents, check these out:

How many countries are there in Africa? 54

How many countries are there in North America? 23

How many countries are there in South America? 12

How many countries are there in Europe? 49

How many countries are there in Asia? 49

How many countries are there in Australia? 23

How many countries are there in Antarctica? 0

Finally, how many continents are there? 7!

And how many countries in each region?

  1. How many countries in Southeast Asia?
  2. And how many countries in Central America?
  3. How many countries in the Caribbean?
  4. Or how many countries in the the Pacific Islands?
  5. How many countries in the Middle East?
  6. How many countries in Scandinavia?

So 197 countries? Or 215?

IF YOU’RE GOING TO ARGUE THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 197 COUNTRIES. THEN 215 IS PERHAPS MORE DEFINITIVE.

Why do some people say there are MORE than 197 countries in the world? Disputed territories! First up, 2 very dubious visits are included on my personal journey to every country in the world on my 197 list. And I feel like a bit of a fraud. Somalia and Iraq (EDIT 2024, I’ve since gone back and traveled them properly, check out the photos and blog posts below!).

Personally, I originally cheated on visiting Somalia by visiting Somaliland:

Somalia has an autonomous region in the north called Somaliland. Although not recognised by many nations, it’s in every way its own country. Passport, government, currency, culture, sports teams. It’s a political reason that it’s not more recognised but it’s as near to a country as it can be. Somaliland is the cheat mode all travelers who try to visit every country in the world use. Myself included. Shame on us.

EDIT 2024: In 2018, I traveled to Mogadishu, Somalia to make sure I traveled the ‘real’ Somalia, it was a crazy trip!

Visiting Somalia
How Many Countries in the world? Visiting Mogadishu, Somalia

I cheated Iraq in Northern Iraq:

Next up, Iraq. Similar situation, but with different politics. Northern Iraq, an autonomous region in the north of Iraq isn’t really Iraq. Culturally it’s completely different. Legally it’s different in that you can fly in with no visa and get stamped in. Whereas, in Iraq proper, that’s not possible. They fly their flag proudly, drink Guinness at Irish pub quizzes at the weekend (to that, I can testify!). So I honestly don’t feel like a visit to Northern Iraqi is visiting Iraq. Technically perhaps, but travel shouldn’t be about passing by on a technicality. It should be about seeing the world, experiencing everything we can. And I kind of feel I’ve let myself down a little here.

*EDIT 2020: I was so keen to travel to Iraq, that last year I brought 16 of my blog readers with me to Baghdad, a great trip!

martyr monument baghdad
How many countries are there in the world? Here’s me in Baghdad, Iraq. Fixing my ‘cheated’ visit to Northern Iraq previously!

Disputed territories Around the World

Nothing is simple when defining what makes a country. For that reason, there are a lot of disputed territories around the world. Now while Catalonia may fight regularly for independence, they are still very much part of Spain so they certainly can’t be counted. Same for Scotland within the United Kingdom. Or Greenland, Svalbard or the Faroe Islands. This is not a political endorsement, just a simple fact.

However, the following territories have fully declared themselves independent (although those declarations aren’t officially ratified by most nations), and therefore not yet recognized by most of the rest of the world:

Somaliland

Declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. Not recognized as a country by any other country, officially still a part of Somalia proper. I had quite a crazy experience in Somaliland complete with terrorists, tycoons and prostitutes. I personally visited 2010.

Nagorno-Karabakh

Declared its independence in 1991. It isn’t recognized by any UN member states, and by only 3 UN non-members: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. Officially part of Azerbaijan. .I personally visited 2013.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Declared its independence in 1983. It is only recognized by 1 UN member state, Turkey. Officially still part of Cyprus proper. I personally visited 2013.

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara

Declared its independence in 1976. It is recognized by 47 UN member states (plus 37 additional member states who used to recognize it) as well as South Ossetia. Officially still part of Morocco proper. I personally visited 2015.

Transnistria/Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

Declared its independence in 1990. It isn’t recognized by any UN member states, and by only 3 UN non-members: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Officially part of Moldova. I undertook a bit of Transnistria tourism a few years ago from Moldova. A fascinating place. I personally visited 2012

South Ossetia

Declared its independence in 1991.  It is recognized by 4 UN member states (Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru) and 4 UN non-member states (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria). Officially part of Georgia proper. I personally travel to South Ossetia in 2018.

Abkhazia

Declared its independence in 1999. It is recognised by 4 UN member states (Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru) and 3 UN non-member states (South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Nagorno-Karabakh). Officially part of Georgia proper. I personally visited 2018. I travel to Abkhazia a few years ago with my mum, from Georgia.

Northern Iraq and beyond

They have their own Regional Government, 32 countries have diplomatic relations in Erbil, a de facto Capital city ( in addition to the UN, EU, etc), they also have ’embassies’ in foreign nations around the world. To visit Northern Iraqi, it’s visa-free for most western nations, a different situation to Iraq proper where you need an Iraqi visa. It has its own flag, its own sports teams. It’s pretty much a country, not as strong a claim as Somaliland but still, to go to Northern Iraq and claim to have visited Iraq is a little weak. I’m guilty of that! (visited Northen Iraqi 2015, yet to visit Iraq proper) EDIT: I’ve now been to Iraq proper, and I took 16 of you guys with me!

Cook Islands

Cook Islanders are New Zealand passport holders, and New Zealand is officially responsible for the defense and foreign affairs of the Cook Islands (and Niue). However, these responsibilities confer New Zealand no rights of control per se.  It is however recognized by 11 UN member states. As of 2016, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Kosovo are the only states that participate in UN specialized agencies, but which are not member or observer states of the UN itself.

Niue

Niueans are New Zealand passport holders, and New Zealand is officially responsible for the defense and foreign affairs of Niue (and the Cook Islands). However, these responsibilities confer New Zealand no rights of control per se.  It is however recognized by 7 UN member states. As of 2016, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Kosovo are the only states that participate in UN specialized agencies, but which are not member or observer states of the UN itself.

What about the UK? Is England a country? Northern Ireland? Wales? Scotland?

And then, of course, you have the confusing, devolved situation of the UK with Northern Ireland (where I grew up), Scotland, England, and Wales. First, I must risk offending everyone by stating 4 facts:

  • England is not a country.*
  • Northern Ireland is not a country.*
  • Wales is not a country.*
  • Scotland is not a country.*
  • The United Kingdom IS a country.

*This discussion can often be reduced to pedantics. What is a country vs a nation, for example? If we consider a country a sovereign state, then what I’ve said above holds true. If you consider a country to be anything that sees itself as a country, then you may consider it differently.

Here’s when we talk about technicalities. If you spend 1 day in London then technically you’ve visited all of the UK. But what about Northern Ireland for example? You’ve ‘ticked off’ Northern Ireland by visiting just the UK.

The UK is the country by definition, but the devolved situation is difficult, so from a travel standpoint, not a legal/technical one, you should really visit them all. Besides, Belfast is one of the best cities in the world, you HAVE to go there. Here’s how to spend 1 day in Belfast if you do go. It’s my home city!

How many countries in the word
How many countries in the world? Northern Ireland, strictly speaking, isn’t a country. The UK is the country.

Places that aren’t countries (that people often think ARE)

Furthermore, there are other places that lots of people consider countries but all belong to an actual sovereign member state.

  • Hong Kong (rightly or wrongly, China – although to be honest I completely understand if people choose to include this as a separate country due to having its own passport, own currency, own political autonomy)
  • Macau (China)
  • Tibet (China)
  • Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales (the UK)
  • French Guiana (France)
  • Puerto Rico (US)
  • Lots of the Caribbean (BVI, Guadeloupe, Aruba, USVI, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Saint Martin and more)
  • Reunion Island (France)
  • French Polynesia (France) – NOTE: On a personal level, Bora Bora is where I proposed to my long-suffering partner!
  • American Samoa (US)
  • Canary Islands (Spain)
  • Madeira (Portugal)
  • Faroe Islands (part of Denmark, visit the Faroe Islands if you get the chance, like Iceland without the tourists)
  • Gibraltar (part of the UK)
  • Greenland (part of Denmark, but please consider to Travel Greenland, a brilliant destination)
  • The Arctic (belongs partly to Norway, Denmark, Canada, the US and Russia)
  • The Falklands (part of the UK)
  • Guam (US)

So, how many countries in the world? 197 (on a technicality), 215 to be sure.

That’s it, 197 is the technical number, (198 if you want to include Hong Kong) but if we add the 10 disputed territories, that makes 207. Then morally you’d be compelled to add Tibet, Hong Kong, Faroe Islands etc.  So after far too many hours online, I’d say there is a solid argument for anyone either claiming to, or wanting to, visit every country in the world, for the 197 countries and these 19 guys:

  1. Somaliland
  2. Nagorno-Karabakh
  3. Northern Cyprus
  4. Western Sahara
  5. Transnistria
  6. South Ossetia
  7. Abkhazia
  8. Northern Iraq
  9. Tibet
  10. Hong Kong
  11. Macau
  12. Faroe Islands
  13. Greenland
  14. Northern Ireland
  15. Scotland
  16. England
  17. Wales
  18. Cook Islands
  19. Niue

Personally, I think Guam, Gibraltar (all places I’ve also visited for the record), French Guiana, etc are a push too far, and having a football team is about as far as the argument goes in regards to them being a country or not.

So with that in mind, that makes 197 + 19 additional nations (-1 for removing the UK and replacing with the 4 nations that make it up) = 215 countries. 

how many countries are there in the world
How many countries are there in the world? With a novice monk in Tibet

My progress on the big list: 215/217

If Niue and Cook Islanders have New Zealand passports, and Faroe Islanders and Greenlanders have Danish passports then can they really be sovereign states? It’s tough, but having your own devolved Government, culture, autonomy, flag etc is certainly worthy. So now I’m looking at flights to Niue and the Cook islands like the travel freak I am. See you on the road I guess!

I live like this because I love to travel, though. Box-ticking and border-hopping for an hour, or a day, in a country isn’t for me. I mean, does that even really count? That’s transport, not travel. Sooooo, are there 215 countries in the world, and will I visit them all? I want to see the world, the WHOLE WORLD. I haven’t been to the Faroe Islands or Greenland (EDIT 2020 – I’VE NOW BEEN TO BOTH!), so can I ‘colour the map’ because I’ve been to Denmark? It doesn’t feel right.

So let’s give it a crack. 215 here I come. Of the 19 additional nations, I listed I’ve visited 17 of them on my travels already. so I need to go back to ‘correct’ my Iraq visit (EDIT 2024, DONE!), and then hit up the Cook Islands, and Niue and I’m actually finally done. No cheating involved!

Lastly, my journey to every country in the world, and where I am now:

I wrote a list of frequently asked questions about my journey to every country in the world. You can read that here. I’m now based in both Bangkok, where I bought a condo with the money I made from blogging Thailand, and Chiang Mai where I hope to start a family in the new dream house I’ve just built! My plans are to have a crazy schedule of being based in Thailand 6 months a year, then somewhere else 3 months a year, and traveling 3 months a year. Let’s see, but it’s been one hell of a ride so far!

Further reading on country stuff?

What are the least visited countries in the world?

What are the most visited countries in the world?

How about the smallest countries in the world?

Or the most expensive countries in the world? Or just the most visited cities to visit perhaps?

Or the biggest countries in the world? I’m working on that one!

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