How many countries are in Asia?
There are 49 countries in Asia: 47 UN member states plus Palestine and Taiwan. Lists that leave out Taiwan give 48, and counting only UN members gives 47.
The honest answer is that it depends on who is counting, but 49 is the most complete figure for sovereign or self-governing states. It is made up of:
- 47 United Nations member states that the UN places in Asia;
- Palestine, a UN non-member observer state recognised by most UN members;
- Taiwan, which governs itself but is recognised by only around a dozen countries and is not a UN member.
Leave out Taiwan and you get 48, which matches the UN Statistics Division's list for Asia (it does not list Taiwan separately). Count only full UN members and the answer is 47. Some popular lists reach 50 or 51 by adding Russia and sometimes Egypt.
How the 49 countries divide by sub-region
| Sub-region | Countries | Most populous |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia | 6 | China, Japan, South Korea |
| Southeast Asia | 11 | Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam |
| South Asia | 9 | India, Pakistan, Bangladesh |
| Central Asia | 5 | Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan |
| West Asia | 18 | Turkey, Iraq, Yemen |
| Total | 49 |
The borderline cases
Russia is the biggest source of disagreement. About three-quarters of its land (Siberia and the Far East) is in Asia, but most of its people and its capital are in Europe, and the UN groups it with Eastern Europe. We follow that convention, so Russia is not in the 49 (see Is Russia in Asia?).
Turkey and Kazakhstan each have a small area in Europe but most of their territory in Asia, so both are counted. The South Caucasus states (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) and the island of Cyprus are counted as West Asia by the UN, even though all four take part in many European institutions and Cyprus is an EU member. Egypt is counted as African, although its Sinai Peninsula lies in Asia.
Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions of China, not countries, so they are not counted separately.
For the full list by name, see What countries are in Asia?, or browse them on the interactive map of Asia.
Related questions
Why do some sources say 48 countries in Asia?
The UN's statistical list of Asian countries and areas includes Palestine but does not list Taiwan separately, which gives 48. Adding Taiwan, which has its own government, borders and currency, gives 49.
Is Russia counted as an Asian country?
Not in the UN geoscheme, which places Russia in Eastern Europe. Russia's Asian part is larger than any Asian country, but its population and capital are European, so most country counts, including ours, leave it out.
Which Asian sub-region has the most countries?
West Asia, with 18 countries, followed by Southeast Asia with 11 and South Asia with 9. East Asia has 6 and Central Asia has 5.