In 2025, there are widely accepted to be 197 countries in the world. This total includes 193 United Nations member states, 2 observer states, and 2 additional widely recognized independent nations. However, counting can vary because of disputed territories and different recognition statuses, so some sources mention numbers ranging from 193 to over 200 depending on definitions used.
Therefore, the number of countries one can guess depends on the definition of a "country," but the main internationally recognized count stands at 197.
