How Many Countries Are There in the World?

According to the records of the United Nations (UN), there are a total of 206 countries in the world as of 2023. These countries consist of 193 countries that are members of the UN and 13 countries that are not members of the UN. Countries that are not members of the UN include the Vatican, Kosovo, Taiwan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Saharan Democratic Arab Republic.

How Many Countries Are There in the World? How Big Are Which Ones?

The smallest country in the world is the Vatican. Vatican City is located within the capital of Italy, Rome, and has a surface area of only 0.44 km². Its population is approximately 800 people. The largest country in the world is Russia. Russia is a country with a surface area of 17,098,242 km². Its population is approximately 146 million people. On our flight ticket page, you can list and purchase affordable tickets to all countries of the world and explore the countries.

The World's Smallest Countries

Country	Area	Population (2023)
Vatican	44 KM	897
Monaco	3.350M	38,682
Nauru	20KM	10,670
tuvalu	25KM	11,640
San Marino	60KM	33,249
Liechtenstein	160KM	39,039
Maldives	300KM	544,349
Saint Kitts and Nevis	261 KM	53,199
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	389 KM	107,837
Malta	137 KM	419,500
Grenada	21 KM	126,157

Some Characteristics of the Smallest and Largest Countries

• Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. Vatican City is located within the capital of Italy, Rome, and has a surface area of only 0.44 km². Its population is approximately 800 people.
• Russia is the largest country in the world. Russia is a country with a surface area of 17,098,242 km². Its population is approximately 146 million people.
• The Vatican has the smallest capital city in the world. The capital of the Vatican is Rome. Rome is the capital of Italy and has a surface area of 1,285 km².
• Russia has the largest capital city in the world. The capital of Russia is Moscow. Moscow has a surface area of 2,511 km².
• The Vatican has the smallest population in the world. The population of the Vatican is approximately 800 people.
• Russia has the world's largest population. The population of Russia is approximately 146 million people.
• The Vatican has the smallest economy in the world. The Vatican's GDP is approximately US$2.2 billion.
• Russia has the largest economy in the world. Russia's GDP is approximately 1.7 trillion US dollars.

The World's Largest Countries

Country	Area	Population (2021)
Russia	17,098,242 km²	143.4 million
Canada	9,984,670 km²	38.25 million
Chinese	9,706,961 km²	1.412 billion
USA	9,629,091 km²	331.9 million
Brazil	8,515,767 km²	214.3 million
Australia	7,692,024 km²	25.69 million
India	3,287,590 km²	1.408 billion
Argentina	2,780,400 km²	45.81 million
Kazakhistan	2,724,900 km²	19 million
Algeria	2,381,741 km²	44.18 million
-	-	-
Türkiye	783,562 km²	84.78 million

Why Does the Number of Countries in the World Change?

The number of countries in the world changes from time to time. The main reasons for these changes are:

• New countries gained independence: For example, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, 15 new countries gained independence.
• Unification of countries: For example, the division of Germany into East and West Germany in 1961 ended with the unification of these two states in 1990.
• Change of borders of countries: For example, as a result of the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.

Is the Number of Countries in the World Expected to Change in the Future?

The number of countries in the world is expected to change in the future. In particular, new countries in Africa and Asia are likely to gain independence.