How Many Countries Are in the World? (195)

Why 195 is the number to build on

The most defensible answer starts with the United Nations, because UN membership is the closest thing the world has to an agreed test of statehood. As of today, the UN lists 193 member states. The most recent country to join was South Sudan, admitted on 14 July 2011 after declaring independence five days earlier, and no state has been admitted since. Add the two states the UN recognizes as permanent observers but not full members, the Holy See and the State of Palestine, and the total reaches 195. That is the figure this site and most standard references use, and it is the one behind the "195 countries" the Geography app teaches.

Why other numbers show up too

Search results are inconsistent because different sources are answering slightly different questions. Some add territories with strong claims to statehood but no UN seat, arriving at 197 by counting Kosovo and Taiwan alongside the 195. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by about 110 UN member states, but it has never applied for UN membership because Serbia's ally Russia holds a Security Council veto. Taiwan, formally the Republic of China, held the UN's China seat until General Assembly Resolution 2758 transferred it to the People's Republic of China in 1971, and it has not held a UN seat since, though the resolution itself never mentions Taiwan's sovereignty directly, which is part of why the matter stays disputed.

Other lists run past 200 because they count something other than sovereign states. ISO 3166-1, the international standard used for country codes on everything from passports to shipping labels, currently assigns 249 codes, since it also covers non-sovereign territories such as Hong Kong, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico alongside every UN member. Reference lists from bodies like the US State Department have historically cited both 195 and 197 depending on the year and whether partly recognized states were included, which is one more reason a single "official" number is hard to pin down without saying which authority you mean.

The edge cases worth knowing

A short list of places explains almost every discrepancy you will run into. Western Sahara is claimed by Morocco but also governed in part by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which is a member of the African Union though not of the UN. The Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand: not UN members, but members in their own right of agencies like the World Health Organization and UNESCO, and New Zealand has never formally opposed UN membership for either, though it says the current constitutional relationship, including automatic New Zealand citizenship, would have to change first. None of these five, Kosovo, Taiwan, Western Sahara, the Cook Islands, and Niue, appears in the 195 count used on this site, and each has a different reason for sitting outside it.

Quick facts

Place	Status	Why it's an edge case
Kosovo	Not a UN member	Recognized by about 110 UN members; Serbia disputes independence; Russia would veto UN membership
Taiwan	Not a UN member since 1971	Lost the UN's China seat to the People's Republic of China under Resolution 2758
Western Sahara	Not a UN member	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is an African Union member, claimed in part by Morocco
Cook Islands	Not a UN member	Self-governing in free association with New Zealand; member of some UN agencies
Niue	Not a UN member	Self-governing in free association with New Zealand; member of some UN agencies

Common questions

How many countries are there in the world in 2026?

There are 195 countries by the most widely used standard: 193 UN member states plus 2 UN observer states, the Holy See and Palestine. The most recent UN member to join was South Sudan in 2011, and no country has been added since.

Why do some sources say there are 197 countries?

The figure 197 usually adds Kosovo and Taiwan to the 195 UN-based count. Both function as states in practice and are recognized by many countries, but neither holds a seat at the United Nations, so most standard lists keep them separate from the 195.

Why does ISO list 249 country codes?

ISO 3166-1, the standard behind country codes used in shipping, passports, and the internet, currently assigns 249 codes. It covers every sovereign state plus non-sovereign territories like Hong Kong and Puerto Rico, which is why its total runs well past the 195 sovereign countries.

Is Taiwan a country?

Taiwan functions as a self-governing state with its own government, military, and currency, but it has not held a UN seat since 1971 and is not recognized as a sovereign state by most UN members, including the United States. Its status remains one of the most disputed questions in geography.

What was the most recent country to join the United Nations?

South Sudan was the most recent country admitted to the United Nations, joining on 14 July 2011, five days after declaring independence from Sudan. It brought UN membership to 193, where it has stood since.

How many countries are in the world?