map placeholder
Click on a country for details.
UN Member Status

Associated state

Non-UN member

UN member

Unrecognized Countries 2024

  • Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states that have unique "free association" ties to New Zealand. They are recognized as sovereign states by some UN members, but not by others.
  • It is not necessary for a state to attain unanimous recognition in order to become a United Nations member (and country). China, for example, is a founding UN member, but is not currently recognized by Taiwan.
Country
Official Country Name
Year Declared
Other Claimants to Territory
UN Member Status
Level of Recognition
Additional Details
ArmeniaRepublic of Armenia1991NoneUN memberMany, but not all, UN members
Armenia, independent since 1991, supports the disputed area Artsakh's claim to independence from Aze...
ChinaPeople's Republic of China1949Taiwan (Republic of China)UN memberMany, but not all, UN members
The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Taiwan (ROC) both claim authority over all ...
Cook IslandsCook Islands1965New Zealand (free association)Associated stateAt least one UN member
The Cook Islands became a state in free association with New Zealand in 1965. The Cook Islands are f...
CyprusRepublic of Cyprus1960Northern CyprusUN memberMany, but not all, UN members
The Republic of Cyprus, independent since 1960, is not recognised by one UN member (Turkey) and one ...
IsraelState of Israel1948Palestine and SyriaUN memberMany, but not all, UN members
Israel, founded in 1948, is not recognised by 28 UN members. - The Palestine Liberation Organizatio...
MaltaSovereign Military Order of Malta1113NoneNon-UN memberLimited
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) is considered a sovereign non-state entity as it claims...
NiueNiue1974New Zealand (free association)Associated stateAt least one UN member
Niue became a state in free association with New Zealand in 1974 after a constitutional referendum. ...
North KoreaDemocratic People's Republic of Korea1948South KoreaUN memberMany, but not all, UN members
North Korea (officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea), independent since 1948, is not r...
PalestineState of Palestine1988IsraelUN memberMany, but not all, UN members
Israel gained control of the Palestinian territories as a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, but has...
South KoreaRepublic of Korea1948North KoreaUN memberMany, but not all, UN members
South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea), independent since 1948, is not recognised by one UN ...
TaiwanRepublic of China1912ChinaNon-UN memberAt least one UN member
The Republic of China (ROC) was constitutionally formed in 1912, and located primarily in Taiwan sin...
Western SaharaSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic1976MoroccoNon-UN memberAt least one UN member
Morocco invaded and annexed most of Western Sahara in 1975. - Only Morocco and the United States ha...

What is the most unrecognized country?

Even though Palestine is recognized my many UN states, the UN itself does not recognize it, which makes it the most unrecognized country in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources