Counting countries

How many countries are there in the world?

195 is the most common answer: the 193 member states of the United Nations plus the two UN observer states, Vatican City and Palestine. Other lists count differently, with Kosovo and Taiwan as the best-known disputed cases and FIFA at 211 members. Quible’s flag quiz follows the UN list and covers 170 of the 193 member states.

By Valentin Weinert, developer of QuibleLast updated: September 25, 2026

The short answer

UN member states: 193. The newest is South Sudan (2011).
UN non-member observer states: 2, the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine (since 2012).
Disputed: Kosovo (recognized by a large part of UN members, not by Serbia, Russia, China or Spain), Taiwan (formal relations with 12 states).
Sports and standards count more: IOC 206 National Olympic Committees, FIFA 211 associations, ISO 3166 249 country codes.
Quible’s Flag Blitz: 170 flags, all UN member states; 23 members are not in it yet.

Why is 195 the usual answer?

Because it is the one count with a clear, public rule: membership in the United Nations. There are 193 member states. Two more states take part in the UN as non-member observers: the Holy See, which governs Vatican City, and the State of Palestine, which the General Assembly accorded observer status in November 2012 (resolution 67/19). 193 plus 2 gives 195, which is why most atlases, schools and quiz apps use that number.

The UN list changes rarely. The last new member was South Sudan in 2011.

Which countries are disputed?

A handful of places govern themselves but are not UN members, and whether they count depends on who is counting. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. It is recognized by a large part of the UN member states, though counts differ between sources (Kosovo’s own figure is higher than Serbia’s), and not by Serbia, Russia, China or Spain, among others. Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) has governed itself since 1949 and lost its UN seat in 1971; according to its foreign ministry it has formal diplomatic relations with 12 states, including the Holy See.

Other cases: Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) is a member of the African Union but not of the UN. Palestine sits in between: a UN observer state that a majority of UN members recognize.

Why do FIFA, the Olympics and ISO count more?

Because they do not count sovereign states. Sports bodies admit teams from territories, and standards bodies need a code for every place that has its own postal and trade system:

List	Count	Why it differs
UN member states	193	Sovereign states admitted by the General Assembly
UN members + observer states	195	Adds the Holy See and Palestine
IOC National Olympic Committees	206	Also Kosovo, Palestine, Chinese Taipei, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong and others
FIFA member associations	211	England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland separately, plus territories such as the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar
ISO 3166-1 country codes	249	Territories too, from Greenland to Antarctica

Sources: UN, IOC, FIFA and ISO, checked 25 September 2026.

How does Quible count countries?

Quible follows the UN list. Every answer in Flag Blitz is one of the 193 UN member states, and no disputed territory is presented as a right answer. Kosovo appears as a wrong option next to look-alike flags (its flag shows the country’s outline, like Cyprus’s), and Taiwan appears as an option in Mystery Country.

Coverage is not complete yet. Flag Blitz holds 170 flags, so 23 UN members are missing: Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, the Central African Republic, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, South Sudan, Syria and Timor-Leste. If you think a round gets a border, a capital or a status wrong, write to support@playquible.com.

Games in Quible that fit

What people also ask

How many countries are in the UN?

193 member states, plus two non-member observer states: the Holy See and Palestine.

Is Taiwan a country?

Taiwan governs itself with its own government, military and currency, but it is not a UN member, and according to its foreign ministry only 12 states have formal diplomatic relations with it. Whether it counts depends on the list.

Is Kosovo a country?

Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by a large part of UN members, but not by Serbia, Russia, China, Spain and others, and it is not a UN member. It is an IOC and FIFA member.

Why does FIFA have more members than the UN?

FIFA admits football associations, not states: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland play separately, and territories such as the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar have their own teams.

How many flags are in Quible?

170 in Flag Blitz, all UN member states. 23 member states are not in the game yet.