How many countries are there on Earth? Plan better, travel wiser

Ever wondered how many countries there actually are in the world? In 2025, the answer is 195, plus 8 more that claim independence without global recognition. Beyond borders, you'll also discover how many countries speak your language, which passports unlock the most destinations, and where the euro or dollar can take you further. This guide breaks it all down with numbers that travelers can use. Whether you're planning your next tour or ticking off countries, you'll find practical insights to fuel smarter adventures.

 

Key findings:

• There are 195 countries in the world: 193 UN members and 2 observer states, the Holy See and Palestine.


• Eight territories claim statehood without full UN membership, ranging from Taiwan and Kosovo to fully unrecognized regions like Somaliland and Transnistria.


• There are 1,175 nations in the world if defined as distinct ethnic or cultural groups, not sovereign states.

 

How many countries are there in the world?

• The world has 195 countries, including 193 UN member states and 2 observers: the Holy See and Palestine.

Many travelers focus only on ticking off countries, but one country can hold dozens of unique cultures, languages, and identities. If we define nations as distinct ethnic or cultural groups rather than political states, the real number of “places” to discover jumps far beyond borders!

 

How many nations are there?

• The world has 1,175 nations when counted as ethnic or cultural groups rather than sovereign countries.

Europe remains one of the top destinations for travelers seeking cultural depth, thanks to its rich history, diverse languages, and compact geography that makes cross-border travel easy. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the 27 countries that make up the European Union.

 

How many countries are there in the EU?

• There are 27 countries in the European Union.

 

EU countries by population:

• Germany has over 83 million people, more than Malta, Luxembourg, and Cyprus combined 70 times.


• The top four most populous EU countries—Germany, France, Italy, and Spain—hold over half the Union's population.


• The smallest five EU countries together make up less than 2% of the EU population, which shows how dramatically travel density can vary.

This means that in some countries like Germany or France, you'll find major cities buzzing with tourists year-round, while in smaller ones like Malta or Luxembourg, your travel experience might feel more personal, less crowded, and easier to navigate. While population size doesn’t always directly translate to tourist crowding (some small countries receive massive visitor numbers), it often signals infrastructure scale and how spread out the crowds might be.

If you want big-city energy, packed events, and nonstop activity, lean toward the larger EU countries. If you're after calm streets, compact charm, and fewer lines, the smaller ones might surprise you.

 

EU countries by the number of international tourist visits:

• Small countries like Croatia and Hungary punch far above their size, which means unique local flavor can outshine scale if marketed right.


• France gets over 217 million tourist arrivals, more than Finland, Luxembourg, and Malta combined 60 times.


• Germany ranks first in population but trails behind Poland, Hungary, and Croatia in tourist visits, which signals a gap between living there and actually visiting.

Knowing where people go is one thing, but how much they spend once they get there reveals a lot about what to expect from your budget. Let’s break down how the EU countries compare when it comes to average tourist spending.

 

EU countries by average tourist spending

• France leads with an average daily spend of €262, nearly four times more than Poland.


• Hungary and Bulgaria offer travel days under €90, which signals massive potential for budget-friendly adventures.

Let’s see the average travel costs mapped across the European Union countries for a better picture:

• High spenders cluster in Western Europe while Eastern countries dominate the low-cost end, which means your travel budget can stretch three times further by shifting east.

But even if a country fits your budget, feeling safe while traveling matters just as much.

 

What EU countries are the safest?

• Ireland, Austria, and Portugal lead EU safety with Global Peace Index scores of 1.303, 1.313, and 1.372.


• France and Cyprus are the least safe in the EU with scores of 2.088 and 2.101, which shows that popular doesn’t always mean peaceful.


• Central European countries like Hungary (1.502), Czechia (1.459), and Slovakia (1.634) form a middle safety band, which signals a sweet spot for travelers balancing safety with affordability

When you line up population, tourist arrivals, spending, and safety, some surprising patterns emerge and they’re gold for travelers planning smarter.

• France, for example, leads Europe in tourist numbers (217 million) and daily spending (€262), yet it ranks among the least safe EU countries with a peace score of 2.088.


• Meanwhile, Austria and Ireland combine high safety (1.313 and 1.303) with moderate spending (€175 and €169) - ideal for travelers who want peace of mind without breaking the bank.


• Poland offers another sweet spot: low spending (€70), strong safety (1.678), and huge tourist numbers (88 million), which shows that budget trips don’t have to be off the beaten path.

Travel hack: check countries where spending is low, safety is high, and crowds are big, that's usually where the best value hides.

Safety and value are key, but there's another factor that shapes every travel experience: the money in your wallet. Let’s look at how many countries share common currencies and what that means for seamless travel.

 

How many countries use common currencies?

 

How many countries use the Euro?

• There are 20 EU countries that use the euro: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

 

How many countries use the United States dollar?

• The US dollar is used in 17 countries and territories: United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Timor-Leste, Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Turks and Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.

As the euro strengthens against the dollar, travel in eurozone countries becomes more expensive for dollar-based travelers. This shift reflects Europe’s economic resilience but also signals that U.S. travelers may now find better short-term value in destinations that use or peg to the U.S. dollar.

Travel lifehack: keep an eye on exchange rates: currency strength can quietly shift your entire travel budget.

Currency isn't the only way travelers connect across borders, language also plays a major role in shaping global experiences.

 

How many countries speak each language

How many countries speak English?

• There are 53 countries and territories where English is a de jure official language.

List of English-speaking countries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

 

How many countries speak Spanish?

• There are 20 countries in the world where Spanish is the primary or sole official language.

List of Spanish-speaking countries: Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Paraguay, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay, Equatorial Guinea.

 

How many countries speak French?

• 26 countries speak French as an official language: 10 as the sole official language and 16 as a co-official language.

List of French-speaking countries: Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, France and Overseas France, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Togo, Guinea, Monaco, Senegal, Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland, Vanuatu.

 

How many countries speak German?

• German is an official language in 6 countries.

List of German-speaking countries: Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein.

 

How many countries speak Portuguese?

• 10 countries speak Portuguese: it is the official language in 7 countries and co-official in 3 others.

List of Portuguese-speaking countries: São Tomé and Príncipe, Portugal, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Brazil, Angola, Timor-Leste, Macau (China), Equatorial Guinea.

 

How many countries speak Italian?

• Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Switzerland

List of Italian-speaking countries: Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Switzerland.

 

How many countries speak Arabic?

• Arabic is spoken in 24 countries: it is an official language in 15 and a co-official language in 9 others.

List of Arabic-speaking countries: Mali, Algeria, Morocco, Comoros, Sudan, Chad, Djibouti, Iraq, Somalia, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

 

How many countries speak Swahili?

• Swahili is an official language in 4 countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

List of Swahili-speaking countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda.

 

How many countries speak Chinese?

• Mandarin is an official language in 3 countries: China, Taiwan, and Singapore.

List of Chinese-speaking countries: People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan), Singapore.

 

How many countries speak Dutch?

• Dutch is an official language in 2 countries and a co-official language in 5 others, so 7 countries speak Dutch.

List of Dutch-speaking countries: Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, Curacao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, South Africa.

English opens global access, but Spanish, French, and Arabic unlock deeper cultural experiences across entire regions from Latin America to North and West Africa to the Middle East.

If you are seeking the perfect combo, pairing English with either Spanish or French gives you access to over 70 countries and some of the most culturally diverse travel experiences on Earth.

While language reflects cultural reach, passport strength reveals how far that influence opens doors across borders.

 

Strongest passports in the world

• Singapore holds the strongest passport in the world in 2025, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations.

 

What is the strongest passport in Europe?

• The strongest passport in Europe is held by France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and several others, each offering access to 189 destinations.

 

What is the strongest passport in Asia?

• The strongest passport in Asia is Singapore, with visa-free access to 193 destinations.

 

What is the strongest passport in Africa?

• The strongest passport in Africa is Seychelles, with visa-free access to 156 destinations.

Passport power quietly shapes your travel budget. Strong passports like Singapore’s or those from the EU can slash visa costs, reduce bureaucracy, and open spontaneous, low-friction routes across continents. You can find cheap flights and buy them without worrying about a visa.

Investing in dual citizenship, ancestry-based passports, or long-stay visa programs in high-ranking countries can unlock premium mobility without premium prices if you are a frequent traveler.

 

Conclusions

From currency strength to passport access and language reach, the world map is economic, cultural, and logistical. Understanding these layers lets you skip costly friction and find high-value experiences that others overlook. Aim to always choose the right ones with the least resistance and the most reward.

Travel has evolved into a game of systems: currencies set your budget, languages shape your depth of connection, and passports control your mobility. Recognizing these hidden mechanics lets you hack the rules: accessing richer journeys, spending less, and skipping lines both literal and legal. Global awareness now equals travel freedom.

Behind every flag lies a strategy: some countries offer lower costs, others smoother entry, and others deeper culture per square mile. When you align language skills, passport strength, and spending habits with global data, you stop chasing countries and start designing experiences. That’s how data-driven travelers gain more for less.

 

Sources:

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• "Europe: Travel Cost Rankings by Country (2025) | Budget Your Trip." Budget Your Trip, 2 June 2025, https://www.budgetyourtrip.com/europe/rankings.


• "List of Countries and Territories Where English Is an Official Language - Wikipedia." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 1 May 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_where_English_is_an_official_language.


• "List of Countries and Territories Where French Is an Official Language - Wikipedia." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 1 May 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_where_French_is_an_official_language.


• "List of Countries and Territories Where German Is an Official Language - Wikipedia." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 24 July 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_where_German_is_an_official_language.


• "List of European Union Member States by Population - Wikipedia." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 12 July 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_Union_member_states_by_population.


• "Muslim Population by Country 2025." Worldpopulationreview.Com, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/muslim-population-by-country. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.


• "Statistics Explained." Home (Eurostat), 1 Jan. 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tourism_statistics_-_top_destinations.


• "The Official Passport Index Ranking." Henley & Partners, https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.