How many countries are there in the world?

There is no single official number, because it depends on who is counted. The most common answer is 193, the number of member states of the United Nations, the count used in most reference works and news reports.

Other common counts:

• 195: the 193 UN members plus the two non-member observer states, the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine.
• 197 or more: adds places with broad recognition but disputed or partial status, such as Taiwan, Kosovo and the Cook Islands and Niue, which have free association with New Zealand.
• 249: the entries in the ISO 3166-1 standard, which lists territories and dependencies as well as sovereign states, so it isn't a count of countries.

The number changed last in 2011, when South Sudan became the 193rd UN member, and it can change again when a new state is recognized or admitted. If you need a single figure for a document or a quiz, use 193 and say it's the UN member count.