Country rankings
Oldest Countries
Oldest Countries: compare 197 countries on 2 metrics.
Facts & TriviaHistory197 countries · 2 metricsUpdated Mar 23, 2024Original page
8 sources
- List of Sovereign States by Date of Formation - Wiki
- 10 Oldest Countries in the World - Oldest
- The Oldest Country in the World - Thought Co.
- Independence Day for Every Country on Earth - Thought Co.
- List of National Independence Days - Wiki
- Oldest Countries in the World - World Atlas
- List of Countries by Formation - Flagpedia
- The Oldest Countries and Nations in the World - Culture Trip
Data
Click a column to sort.
197 countries
 Afghanistan | 1,747 | 15 August 2021 |
 Albania | 1,190 | 29 April 1991 |
 Algeria | 202 BC | 19 September 1958 |
 Andorra | 1,278 | 28 April 1993 |
 Angola | 11 November 1975 | 1,975 |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 1 November 1981 | — |
 Argentina | 25 May 1810 | 10 December 1983 |
 Armenia | 880 | 21 September 1991 |
 Australia | 1 January 1901 | 1 January 1901 |
 Austria | 17 September 1156 | 12 November 1918 |
 Azerbaijan | 28 May 1918 | 18 October 1991 |
 Bahamas | 7 January 1964 | — |
 Bahrain | 15 August 1971 | 14 February 2002 |
 Bangladesh | 26 March 1971 | 4 November 1972 |
 Barbados | 30 November 1966 | — |
 Belarus | 882 | 28 November 1996 |
 Belgium | 4 October 1830 | 21 July 1831 |
 Belize | 1 January 1964 | — |
 Benin | 1 August 1960 | 1 March 1960 |
 Bhutan | 1,885 | 24 March 2008 |
 Bolivia | 6 August 1825 | 25 January 2009 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 March 1992 | 3 March 1992 |
 Botswana | 30 September 1966 | 30 September 1966 |
 Brazil | 7 September 1822 | 5 October 1988 |
 Brunei | 1 January 1984 | 12 December 1962 |
 Bulgaria | 681 | 10 November 1989 |
 Burkina Faso | 5 August 1960 | 30 September 2022 |
 Burundi | 1 July 1962 | 28 November 1966 |
 Cambodia | 9 November 1953 | 21 September 1993 |
 Cameroon | 1 January 1960 | 20 May 1972 |
 Canada | 11 December 1931 | 1 July 1867 |
 Cape Verde | 5 July 1975 | 5 July 1975 |
 Central African Republic | 13 August 1960 | 21 September 0197 |
 Chad | 11 August 1960 | 10 October 2022 |
 Chile | 18 September 1810 | 17 August 1989 |
 China | 1600 BC | 4 December 1982 |
 Colombia | 20 July 1810 | 4 July 1991 |
 Comoros | 6 July 1975 | — |
 Cook Islands | 4 August 1965 | — |
 Costa Rica | 15 September 1821 | 7 November 1949 |
 Croatia | 879 | 8 October 1991 |
 Cuba | 10 October 1898 | 1 January 1959 |
 Cyprus | 16 August 1960 | 16 August 1960 |
 Czechia | October 1918 | 1 January 1993 |
 Denmark | 965 | 5 June 1953 |
 Djibouti | 27 June 1977 | — |
 Dominica | 27 February 1967 | 3 November 1978 |
 Dominican Republic | 27 February 1844 | 28 November 1966 |
 DR Congo | 30 June 1960 | 17 May 1997 |
 Ecuador | 10 August 1809 | 28 September 2008 |
 Egypt | 28 February 1922 | 18 June 1953 |
 El Salvador | 15 September 1821 | 16 December 1983 |
 Equatorial Guinea | 12 October 1968 | — |
 Eritrea | 27 April 1993 | — |
 Estonia | 20 August 1991 | 24 February 1918 |
 Eswatini | 6 September 1968 | 8 February 2006 |
 Ethiopia | 900 | 21 August 1995 |
 Fiji | 10 October 1970 | — |
 Finland | 6 December 1917 | 29 March 1809 |
 France | 481 | 4 October 1958 |
 Gabon | 17 August 1960 | — |
 Gambia | 18 February 1965 | — |
 Georgia | 1,008 | 9 April 1991 |
 Germany | 843 | 23 May 1949 |
 Ghana | 6 March 1957 | — |
 Greece | 1,821 | 11 June 1975 |
 Grenada | 27 February 1967 | 30 September 1978 |
 Guatemala | 15 September 1821 | 31 May 1985 |
 Guinea | 2 October 1958 | — |
 Guinea-Bissau | 24 September 1973 | — |
 Guyana | 26 May 1966 | — |
 Haiti | 1 January 1804 | March 1987 |
 Honduras | 15 September 1821 | 11 January 1982 |
 Hungary | 895 | 1 January 2012 |
 Iceland | 1 December 1918 | 1 July 1845 |
 India | 2500 BC | 26 January 1950 |
 Indonesia | 17 August 1945 | 18 August 1945 |
 Iran | 2600 BC | 3 December 1979 |
 Iraq | 762 | 15 October 2005 |
 Ireland | 1,542 | 29 December 1937 |
 Israel | 14 May 1948 | 14 May 1948 |
 Italy | 1,720 | 2 June 1946 |
 Ivory Coast | 4 December 1973 | — |
 Jamaica | 6 August 1962 | — |
 Japan | 11 February 660 BC | 22 December 1885 |
 Jordan | 25 May 1946 | 12 June 2011 |
 Kazakhstan | 16 December 1991 | 30 August 1995 |
 Kenya | 12 December 1963 | — |
 Kiribati | 12 July 1979 | — |
 Kuwait | 1,752 | 11 November 1962 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 31 August 1991 | 10 June 2010 |
 Laos | 22 October 1953 | 2 December 1975 |
 Latvia | 4 May 1990 | 7 November 1922 |
 Lebanon | 26 November 1941 | 23 May 1926 |
 Lesotho | 4 October 1966 | — |
 Liberia | 26 July 1847 | — |
 Libya | 24 December 1951 | 4 August 2014 |
 Liechtenstein | 19 October 1813 | 16 March 2003 |
 Lithuania | 16 February 1918 | 11 March 1990 |
 Luxembourg | 1,945 | 23 November 1890 |
 Madagascar | 14 October 1958 | — |
 Malawi | 6 July 1964 | — |
 Malaysia | 16 September 1963 | 16 September 1963 |
 Maldives | 26 July 1965 | 11 November 1968 |
 Mali | 25 November 1958 | — |
 Malta | 21 September 1964 | 13 December 1974 |
 Marshall Islands | 21 October 1986 | 1 May 1979 |
 Mauritania | 28 November 1960 | — |
 Mauritius | 12 March 1968 | — |
 Mexico | 16 September 1810 | 7 February 1917 |
 Micronesia | 3 November 1986 | 10 May 1979 |
 Moldova | 27 August 1991 | 27 August 1997 |
 Monaco | 1,297 | 17 December 1962 |
 Mongolia | 1,206 | 12 February 1992 |
 Montenegro | 3 June 2006 | 22 October 2007 |
 Morocco | 788 | 18 November 1955 |
 Mozambique | 25 June 1975 | 27 October 1994 |
 Myanmar | 4 January 1948 | 1 February 2021 |
 Namibia | 21 March 1990 | — |
 Nauru | 3 January 1968 | — |
 Nepal | 25 September 1768 | 28 May 2008 |
 Netherlands | 26 July 1581 | 15 December 1954 |
 New Zealand | 17 January 1853 | 6 February 1840 |
 Nicaragua | 15 September 1821 | 9 January 1987 |
 Niger | 4 December 1958 | — |
 Nigeria | 1 October 1960 | — |
 North Korea | 918 | 25 December 1972 |
 North Macedonia | 8 September 1991 | 17 November 1991 |
 Norway | 872 | 1,814 |
 Oman | 26 January 1650 | 1,996 |
 Pakistan | 14 August 1947 | 14 August 1973 |
 Palau | 1 October 1994 | 1 January 1918 |
 Palestine | 15 November 1988 | 4 May 1994 |
 Panama | 3 Novemebr 1903 | 11 October 1972 |
 Papua New Guinea | 1 December 1973 | — |
 Paraguay | 14 May 1811 | 20 June 1992 |
 Peru | 28 July 1821 | 31 December 1993 |
 Philippines | 12 June 1896 | 2 February 1987 |
 Poland | 966 | 4 June 1989 |
 Portugal | 5 October 1143 | 2 April 1976 |
 Qatar | 18 December 1878 | 8 September 1971 |
 Republic of the Congo | 15 August 1960 | — |
 Romania | 24 January 1859 | 22 December 1989 |
 Russia | 882 | 25 December 1993 |
 Rwanda | 1 July 1962 | — |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 27 February 1967 | — |
 Saint Lucia | 27 February 1967 | — |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 27 October 1969 | — |
 Samoa | 1 June 1962 | — |
 San Marino | 3 September 301 | 1,600 |
 Sao Tome and Principe | 12 July 1975 | — |
 Saudi Arabia | 13 January 1902 | 23 September 1932 |
 Senegal | 20 August 1960 | — |
 Serbia | 780 | 8 June 2006 |
 Seychelles | 29 June 1976 | — |
 Sierra Leone | 27 April 1961 | — |
 Singapore | 3 June 1965 | 9 August 1965 |
 Slovakia | October 1918 | 1 January 1993 |
 Slovenia | 25 June 1991 | 13 December 1991 |
 Solomon Islands | 2 January 1976 | — |
 Somalia | 1 July 1960 | 20 August 2012 |
 South Africa | 31 May 1910 | 4 February 1997 |
 South Korea | 918 | 29 October 1987 |
 South Sudan | 9 July 2011 | 9 July 2011 |
 Spain | 1,479 | 6 December 1978 |
 Sri Lanka | 4 February 1948 | 22 May 1972 |
 Sudan | 1 January 1956 | 15 April 2010 |
 Suriname | 15 December 1954 | — |
 Sweden | 970 | 1 January 1974 |
 Switzerland | 1,291 | 12 November 1848 |
 Syria | 28 September 1961 | 27 February 2012 |
 Taiwan | 1600 BC | 25 December 1947 |
 Tajikistan | 9 September 1991 | — |
 Tanzania | 9 December 1961 | 1 July 1991 |
 Thailand | 6 November 1767 | 6 April 2017 |
 Timor-Leste | 20 May 2002 | 20 May 2002 |
 Togo | 30 August 1958 | — |
 Tonga | 4 July 1970 | — |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 31 August 1962 | — |
 Tunisia | 20 March 1956 | 25 July 2022 |
 Turkey | 1,299 | 24 June 2018 |
 Turkmenistan | 27 October 1991 | 28 September 2008 |
 Tuvalu | 1 October 1978 | 1 October 1975 |
 Uganda | 1 March 1962 | — |
 Ukraine | 882 | 24 August 1991 |
 United Arab Emirates | 2 December 1971 | — |
 United Kingdom | 927 | 8 December 1922 |
 United States | 4 July 1776 | 4 March 1789 |
 Uruguay | 25 August 1825 | 8 December 1996 |
 Uzbekistan | 31 August 1991 | — |
 Vanuatu | 30 July 1980 | — |
 Vatican City | 7 June 1929 | 1,274 |
 Venezuela | 19 April 1810 | 20 December 1999 |
 Vietnam | 2 September 1945 | 1 January 2014 |
 Yemen | 1 November 1918 | 22 May 1990 |
 Zambia | 24 October 1964 | — |
 Zimbabwe | 11 November 1965 | 22 December 1987 |
Quick answers
- Where does this oldest countries data come from?
- Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: List of Sovereign States by Date of Formation - Wiki; 10 Oldest Countries in the World - Oldest; The Oldest Country in the World - Thought Co.; Independence Day for Every Country on Earth - Thought Co..