How many countries are in West Asia?
There are 18 countries in West Asia under the UN geoscheme, covering the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Iraq, Turkey, the South Caucasus and Cyprus.
The UN geoscheme lists 18 countries in West Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Together they have about 314.3 million people.
West Asia's sub-regions
- Arabian Peninsula (7): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen. The first six form the Gulf Cooperation Council.
- Levant (5): Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria.
- Mesopotamia and Anatolia (2): Iraq and Turkey.
- South Caucasus (3): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia.
- Eastern Mediterranean island (1): Cyprus, an EU member.
West Asia vs the Middle East
The two terms overlap but are not the same. The Middle East is usually taken to include Iran, which the UN puts in South Asia, and often Egypt, which is in Africa. It usually leaves out the South Caucasus and sometimes Cyprus. A typical Middle East list therefore has about 16 to 18 countries, but not the same ones as West Asia.
West Asian countries by population
| Country | Capital | Population | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Ankara | 87,685,426 | 783,562 |
| Iraq | Baghdad | 47,020,774 | 438,317 |
| Yemen | Sanaʽa | 41,773,878 | 527,968 |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | 34,566,328 | 2,149,690 |
| Syria | Damascus | 25,620,427 | 185,180 |
| Jordan | Amman | 11,520,684 | 89,342 |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | 11,346,000 | 83,600 |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | 10,397,713 | 86,600 |
| Israel | Jerusalem | 9,517,181 | 22,072 |
| Lebanon | Beirut | 5,849,421 | 10,452 |
| Palestine | Ramallah | 5,589,623 | 6,220 |
| Oman | Muscat | 5,494,691 | 309,500 |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | 5,026,078 | 17,818 |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | 3,806,671 | 69,700 |
| Qatar | Doha | 3,115,889 | 11,586 |
| Armenia | Yerevan | 2,952,365 | 29,743 |
| Bahrain | Manama | 1,643,332 | 787 |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | 1,370,754 | 9,251 |
Turkey has the largest population in West Asia, while Saudi Arabia covers the most land. Bahrain is the smallest country by area, and Gulf states such as Qatar and the UAE are among the richest in the world per person.
See the region on the West Asia map.
Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024 (2025 estimates). Area: total area including inland water, standard UN / national reference figures.
Related questions
Is Iran in West Asia?
Geographically and culturally Iran is usually seen as part of West Asia and the Middle East, but the UN statistical geoscheme assigns it to Southern Asia. That is why it is not among the 18 here.
Is Egypt in West Asia?
Only partly. The Sinai Peninsula lies in Asia, but most of Egypt, including Cairo, is in Africa, and it is counted as an African country.
Are Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Asia or Europe?
They lie in the Caucasus, on the traditional boundary between the two continents. The UN counts them as West Asian, but all three are members of the Council of Europe and often take part in European competitions.