How Many Countries Are There in Europe?44 sovereign states
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.
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
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 recognized 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 kilometers. 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
The other continents
Cite this page
CC BY 4.0Our compilation on this page — the figures as arranged, ranked and dated here — is published under CC BY 4.0. Reuse it anywhere, including commercially, with a link back. The underlying data belongs to the organizations credited below.
Us, by Numbers. "Us, by Numbers." https://usbynumbers.com
Sources
Every number here traces to an official body.