There are 195 countries in the world as of 2026, according to the most widely accepted and commonly cited figure.
This total breaks down as follows:
193 member states of the United Nations.
2 non-member observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine.
These 195 entities are generally recognized as sovereign countries in international contexts, appear on most world maps, and are used by sources like Worldometer, Britannica, and many geography references.
The United Nations itself has exactly 193 member states (no change in recent years), but the addition of the two permanent observer states brings the practical count to 195 for “countries in the world.”
Note that the exact number can vary slightly depending on definitions:
Some lists reach 197 if including entities like the Cook Islands and Niue (which have special status but are not UN members or observers).
Broader counts (e.g., including partially recognized states like Taiwan, Kosovo, or others) can go higher (around 200–206 in some contexts, such as Olympic participation).
However, the standard, consensus answer in most educational, geographical, and official contexts remains 195.
No new sovereign countries have been universally recognized or added to the UN since South Sudan in 2011, so this figure has stayed stable.
Here is the standard list of the 195 countries in the world (as of February 2026), based on the most widely accepted definition:
193 United Nations member states.
2 non-member observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine.
This total (195) is used by sources like the United Nations framework, Worldometer, Britannica, and most geography references. No new UN members or changes to observer status have occurred since South Sudan joined in 2011.
Below is an alphabetical list of these 195 countries (common English names used):
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo (Brazzaville)
Congo (Kinshasa) / Democratic Republic of the Congo
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia (Czech Republic)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine, State of
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye (Turkey)
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City (Holy See)
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Notes:
Some names use official or shortened forms (e.g., “Czechia” instead of “Czech Republic,” “Türkiye” as the official name since 2022).
Entities like Taiwan, Kosovo, Cook Islands, or Niue are not included in the standard 195 count, as they lack universal recognition or full UN membership/observer status in this context.
If you’re looking for a list grouped by continent, population-ranked, or including dependencies/territories, let me know for a different breakdown!