The 10 smallest countries in the world all cover less than 320 km², and the two smallest, Vatican City and Monaco, would fit inside Paris (105 km²) dozens of times over. Here is the top 10.
1. Vatican (0.49 km²)
The smallest country in the world. About 800 inhabitants. Elective theocracy ruled by the Pope. Enclaved within Rome.
Quirks. Smallest country, but not the densest: about 1,700 inhabitants/km², ten times less than Monaco. Pontifical Swiss Guard as army.
2. Monaco (2.02 km²)
Mediterranean principality. About 38,000 inhabitants. Constitutional monarchy of the Grimaldi family since 1297.
Quirks. Densest country in the world (18,000 inhabitants/km²). No income tax. Formula 1 Grand Prix and Monte-Carlo Casino.
3. Nauru (21 km²)
Pacific island. 12,000 inhabitants. Smallest island country.
Quirks. Former phosphate wealth made it one of the world’s richest countries in the 1970s, then total collapse after exhaustion.
4. Tuvalu (26 km²)
Nine atolls in the Pacific. 11,000 inhabitants.
Quirks. Country most exposed to sea level rise. The .tv internet domain brings in significant income (sold for millions).
5. San Marino (61 km²)
Enclaved in Italy. 33,000 inhabitants. One of the oldest republics in the world, founded in 301.
Quirks. Three medieval fortresses accessible on foot.
6. Liechtenstein (160 km²)
Between Switzerland and Austria. 39,000 inhabitants.
Quirks. Constitutional monarchy. Among the richest countries in the world by GDP per capita, alongside Monaco. One of only two doubly landlocked countries, with Uzbekistan.
7. Marshall Islands (181 km²)
29 atolls in the Pacific. About 42,000 inhabitants. Compact of free association with the US.
Quirks. The United States carried out 67 nuclear tests there between 1946 and 1958, including at Bikini Atoll.
8. Saint Kitts and Nevis (261 km²)
Two islands in the Caribbean. About 47,000 inhabitants. Smallest country in the Americas.
Quirks. Its citizenship-by-investment programme, launched in 1984, is the oldest in the world.
9. Maldives (298 km²)
26 atolls in the Indian Ocean. About 520,000 inhabitants.
Quirks. The flattest country in the world (maximum elevation 2.4 meters), spread over some 1,190 coral islands, about 200 of them inhabited.
10. Malta (316 km²)
Mediterranean archipelago. About 540,000 inhabitants. EU member.
Quirks. The most densely populated country in the European Union, and Valletta is the EU’s smallest capital.
All countries smaller than 1,000 km²
25 sovereign states cover less than 1,000 km². Beyond the top 10, most are Caribbean or Pacific islands, with two exceptions far more populated than the rest: Singapore and Bahrain.
| Rank | Country | Area (km²) | Population (approx.) | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatican City | 0.49 | 800 | Europe |
| 2 | Monaco | 2.02 | 38,000 | Europe |
| 3 | Nauru | 21 | 12,000 | Oceania |
| 4 | Tuvalu | 26 | 11,000 | Oceania |
| 5 | San Marino | 61 | 33,000 | Europe |
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 160 | 39,000 | Europe |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 181 | 42,000 | Oceania |
| 8 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 | 47,000 | Americas |
| 9 | Maldives | 298 | 520,000 | Asia |
| 10 | Malta | 316 | 540,000 | Europe |
| 11 | Grenada | 344 | 117,000 | Americas |
| 12 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 | 104,000 | Americas |
| 13 | Barbados | 430 | 280,000 | Americas |
| 14 | Antigua and Barbuda | 442 | 94,000 | Americas |
| 15 | Seychelles | 459 | 120,000 | Africa |
| 16 | Palau | 459 | 18,000 | Oceania |
| 17 | Andorra | 468 | 85,000 | Europe |
| 18 | Saint Lucia | 617 | 180,000 | Americas |
| 19 | Micronesia | 702 | 105,000 | Oceania |
| 20 | Singapore | 735 | 5,900,000 | Asia |
| 21 | Tonga | 747 | 100,000 | Oceania |
| 22 | Dominica | 751 | 72,000 | Americas |
| 23 | Bahrain | 786 | 1,600,000 | Asia |
| 24 | Kiribati | 811 | 130,000 | Oceania |
| 25 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 | 230,000 | Africa |
Areas from the CIA World Factbook; populations are rounded recent estimates. Singapore and Bahrain keep growing through land reclamation, so their area changes slightly from year to year.
Why such small countries?
Three historical reasons.
Medieval heritage. Vatican, San Marino, Monaco, Liechtenstein are remnants of old political fragmentations.
Island geography. Many of the smallest countries are islands or archipelagos, necessarily limited by their geography.
Decolonization. For the Caribbean especially, independence created small stable states on modest islands.
Useful comparisons
- Vatican City = about 60 football pitches, or one seventh of New York’s Central Park (3.4 km²)
- Monaco = about three fifths of Central Park
- San Marino = Manhattan (59 km²) roughly
- Liechtenstein = about one and a half times Paris (105 km²)
- Malta = about two fifths of New York City (784 km²)
By continent: the smallest countries in Europe, the smallest countries in Asia, the smallest countries in Africa, the smallest countries in the Americas, the smallest countries in Oceania and the six European microstates.
Worth reading: least visited countries in the world, landlocked countries and countries that no longer exist to continue.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest country in the world?
Vatican City, at 0.49 km² (about 44 hectares), is the smallest country in the world. Enclaved within Rome, it is home to roughly 800 residents and is ruled by the Pope.
What is the smallest country by population?
Vatican City is also the smallest by population, with around 800 inhabitants. Among United Nations member states (the Vatican is not one), Tuvalu is the smallest, with about 11,000 people. The full ranking is in our list of the least populated countries in the world.
Is Sealand a real country?
No. The Principality of Sealand is a self-declared micronation on a former WWII sea fort off the English coast. It is not recognised by any sovereign state, so it does not count in rankings of the world’s smallest countries.
What is the smallest country on each continent?
The smallest country in Europe is Vatican City (0.49 km²). In Asia it is the Maldives (about 298 km²), in Africa the Seychelles (about 459 km²), in the Americas Saint Kitts and Nevis (261 km²), and in Oceania Nauru (21 km²).
How many countries are smaller than 1,000 km²?
25 sovereign states are smaller than 1,000 km² (full table above), most of them island nations in the Caribbean and the Pacific, plus the European microstates (Vatican, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Andorra) and Malta.
3 questions on this article
Who serves as the army of the Vatican, the world's smallest country?
In the Vatican, the Pontifical Swiss Guard serves as the army, on just 0.49 km².
Which tiny country earns millions from its .tv internet domain?
Tuvalu, nine atolls and 26 km², earns significant income from its .tv domain, sold for millions.
What is the highest elevation in the Maldives, the flattest country on Earth?
The Maldives' maximum elevation is just 2.4 meters. The country is made of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean.