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How Many Countries Are There in Europe?

There are 44 countries in Europe — that is, 44 sovereign states.

Russia is included here as a European country even though most of its territory lies in Asia. Several other states straddle Europe and Asia; we explain each choice below.

United Nations — Standard Country Codes (M49) ↗
Source UN M49Method sovereign states (193 UN members + 2 observers)As of 2026

The countries

All 44 sovereign states of Europe, A–Z. Each traces to the UN list of member and observer states.

  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Austria
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Holy See
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • Netherlands
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

The countries: 44 · sovereign states (193 UN members + 2 observers)

How we count Europe

We count the sovereign states usually placed in Europe, including Russia (whose capital and heartland are European) and the fully European microstates — Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and the Holy See (Vatican City). The transcontinental states of the Caucasus and Anatolia — Turkey, Cyprus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan — are counted under Asia. Kazakhstan, mostly in Asia, is also counted there. Kosovo and other partially recognised states are not UN members and are not included.

FAQ

Is Russia in Europe or Asia?
Both — Russia is a transcontinental country. About three-quarters of its land is in Asia, but its capital (Moscow), most of its population and its historic heartland are in Europe, so it is usually counted as a European country. We count it under Europe.
What is the largest country in Europe?
Russia is the largest country in Europe (and in the world) by area. If Russia is excluded, Ukraine is the largest country lying wholly within Europe.
What is the smallest country in Europe?
Vatican City (the Holy See) is the smallest country in Europe and in the world, at about 0.49 square kilometres. Monaco is the second smallest.
Is Turkey in Europe?
Turkey is transcontinental: a small part around Istanbul is in Europe, but most of the country is in Asia (Anatolia). We count Turkey under Asia, so it is not in this list of 44.
Is the United Kingdom still counted as part of Europe?
Yes. Leaving the European Union in 2020 was a political and economic change; it did not move the United Kingdom off the European continent. The UK is one of the 44 European countries.

Antarctica has 0 countries — it is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, not by any sovereign state.

More, by numbers

How many countries are there in the world?

195 — the full picture, sourced →

Population by country

Every country, ranked →

Facts, by numbers

Straight, sourced answers →

The other continents

How many countries in Asia?
48 sovereign states →
How many countries in Africa?
54 sovereign states →
How many countries in North America?
23 sovereign states →
How many countries in South America?
12 sovereign states →
How many countries in Oceania?
14 sovereign states →

Sources

Every number here traces to an official body.