How Many Countries Are There in the World?
This is one of the most searched geography questions in the world, and it does not have one answer. It has several, each correct under a different definition. The reason is simple: "country" is a political judgement, not a measurable property, and the bodies that keep the lists do not all use the same rule.
The Most Widely Used Answer
195
193 UN member states plus 2 non-member observer states
The Different Counts and What Each Includes
| Count | Definition | When It Is Used |
|---|---|---|
| 193 | Full member states of the United Nations | The strictest and most defensible figure. Use this in essays and formal writing. |
| 195 | UN members plus the two observer states, the Holy See and Palestine | The most commonly quoted answer, and the one most quizzes expect. |
| 197 | Adds Taiwan and Kosovo, both widely but not universally recognised | Common in travel, sport and commercial datasets. |
| ~200+ | Adds remaining partially recognised and de facto states | Rare, and varies significantly between sources. |
| 250ish | Counts dependencies and territories with their own ISO codes | Used by software and shipping systems, not by geographers. |
193
Definition
Full member states of the United Nations
When It Is Used
The strictest and most defensible figure. Use this in essays and formal writing.
195
Definition
UN members plus the two observer states, the Holy See and Palestine
When It Is Used
The most commonly quoted answer, and the one most quizzes expect.
197
Definition
Adds Taiwan and Kosovo, both widely but not universally recognised
When It Is Used
Common in travel, sport and commercial datasets.
~200+
Definition
Adds remaining partially recognised and de facto states
When It Is Used
Rare, and varies significantly between sources.
250ish
Definition
Counts dependencies and territories with their own ISO codes
When It Is Used
Used by software and shipping systems, not by geographers.
The two observer states are the reason 193 becomes 195. The Holy See, the sovereign entity that governs Vatican City, has never applied for full UN membership. Palestine was granted non-member observer state status in 2012. Both are treated as countries in almost every context outside the UN membership roll itself.
The States That Cause the Disagreement
| State | Status | Why It Is Contested |
|---|---|---|
| Holy See (Vatican City) | UN observer state | Chooses not to seek full membership; universally treated as a country in practice. |
| Palestine | UN observer state | Recognised by a large majority of UN members, but not all. |
| Taiwan | Not a UN member | Functions as an independent state; its UN seat was transferred to the PRC in 1971. |
| Kosovo | Not a UN member | Recognised by around half of UN members; membership blocked at the Security Council. |
| Western Sahara (SADR) | Disputed territory | Largely controlled by Morocco; recognised by some states and the African Union. |
| Cook Islands and Niue | Self-governing | In free association with New Zealand; treaty-making capacity but no UN seat. |
| Northern Cyprus | De facto state | Recognised only by Turkey. |
| Abkhazia and South Ossetia | De facto states | Recognised by a handful of states after 2008. |
| Somaliland | De facto state | Stable self-government since 1991 with no international recognition. |
Holy See (Vatican City)
StatusUN observer stateWhy It Is Contested
Chooses not to seek full membership; universally treated as a country in practice.
Palestine
StatusUN observer stateWhy It Is Contested
Recognised by a large majority of UN members, but not all.
Taiwan
StatusNot a UN memberWhy It Is Contested
Functions as an independent state; its UN seat was transferred to the PRC in 1971.
Kosovo
StatusNot a UN memberWhy It Is Contested
Recognised by around half of UN members; membership blocked at the Security Council.
Western Sahara (SADR)
StatusDisputed territoryWhy It Is Contested
Largely controlled by Morocco; recognised by some states and the African Union.
Cook Islands and Niue
StatusSelf-governingWhy It Is Contested
In free association with New Zealand; treaty-making capacity but no UN seat.
Northern Cyprus
StatusDe facto stateWhy It Is ContestedRecognised only by Turkey.Abkhazia and South Ossetia
StatusDe facto statesWhy It Is Contested
Recognised by a handful of states after 2008.
Somaliland
StatusDe facto stateWhy It Is Contested
Stable self-government since 1991 with no international recognition.
For practical purposes: use 193 when precision matters and you can name the standard, 195 in general writing and quizzes, and state your rule whenever you publish a country list. The number itself is far less important than being explicit about which definition produced it.
It is also worth knowing that the number changes. South Sudan became the 193rd UN member in 2011, and before that Montenegro joined in 2006 after separating from Serbia. Any country count is a snapshot, not a constant.
Sources and Definitions
Figures are based on United Nations membership records and the standard treatment of non-member observer states. Counts above 197 vary between publishers because there is no agreed threshold for how much recognition a de facto state needs before it is listed.
However you count them, you still have to find them
Definitions are the easy part. Placing every country on a blank map is where it gets interesting.
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Written by
Ziga Straus
I build and run Geography Games on my own, from the games and the artwork to these articles. Everything here is checked against published references, and each article lists its sources at the bottom so you can verify any figure yourself rather than taking my word for it.
