What is the smallest country in Asia?
The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia, with about 298 km² of land. Singapore and Bahrain are next. By population, the smallest is Brunei.
The Maldives covers just 298 km² of land, spread across about 1,190 coral islands in 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean. Its territory, including the sea, is huge, but its land area is tiny. It is also the lowest-lying country in the world: most of its land is less than about 1.5 metres above sea level, which makes it extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise.
The next smallest are two other island states: Singapore (745 km²) and Bahrain (787 km²). Both have grown over the decades through land reclamation, so their official areas keep rising. The fourth smallest, Brunei, is several times larger than either.
The ten smallest Asian countries by area
| # | Country | Area (km²) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maldives | 298 | 529,676 |
| 2 | Singapore | 745 | 5,870,750 |
| 3 | Bahrain | 787 | 1,643,332 |
| 4 | Brunei | 5,765 | 466,330 |
| 5 | Palestine | 6,220 | 5,589,623 |
| 6 | Cyprus | 9,251 | 1,370,754 |
| 7 | Lebanon | 10,452 | 5,849,421 |
| 8 | Qatar | 11,586 | 3,115,889 |
| 9 | Timor-Leste | 14,874 | 1,418,517 |
| 10 | Kuwait | 17,818 | 5,026,078 |
Smallest by population
Measured by people rather than land, the smallest country is Brunei (466,330), followed by the Maldives (529,676) and Bhutan (796,682). Singapore is the opposite of the Maldives: one of the smallest countries by area but one of the most crowded, with nearly six million residents.
Area: total area including inland water, standard UN / national reference figures. Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024 (2025 estimates).
Related questions
Is Singapore the smallest country in Asia?
No. Singapore (745 km²) is the second smallest. The Maldives (298 km²) is less than half its size.
What is the smallest country on the Asian mainland?
Leaving out island states, the smallest is Palestine (6,220 km²) if it is counted, otherwise Lebanon (10,452 km²). Brunei (5,765 km²) is smaller than both but lies on the island of Borneo.