Most bordering countries
China and Russia each share land borders with 14 countries — more than any others.
Headline finding
China leads the world for most bordering countries at 14 land borders.
The full top 20: Most bordering countries
Click any country to read its full profile.
What the numbers show
China's lead at the top of this ranking is 0.0% above the second-place country — a margin tight enough that the top spot has changed hands within the last five years and could change again.
The five countries leading the table — China, Russia, Brazil, DR Congo, Germany — together set the global benchmark. The next 15 countries fill the rest of the table, with Serbia anchoring the list at 8.
Figures are drawn from CIA World Factbook 2024. We use this source because it produces a single, internally consistent dataset rather than aggregating from national statistics offices, which makes year-on-year comparison reliable. The next update is expected when the source publishes its next annual release — see the methodology section below for which year of data is currently shown.
Methodology and caveats
- What this measures
- land borders
- Source
- CIA World Factbook 2024
- Coverage
- Top 20 countries shown. Full source dataset covers all 195 sovereign states where data is available.
- Refresh cadence
- Updated annually as the source publishes new figures, typically autumn or spring.
- Known caveat
- Country definitions follow the source: where the UN, the World Bank and the CIA Factbook disagree on borders or recognition, we use the figure as published rather than reconciling between bodies. Comparisons across rankings should be made with this in mind.
Frequently asked
Which country tops the ranking for bordering countries?
China leads with 14 land borders. Russia is second at 14, with Brazil in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the bordering countries ranking?
The figures come from CIA World Factbook 2024. We use this source because it publishes a complete country-by-country dataset using consistent methodology — the alternative of mixing national statistics offices would compromise comparability. Updated annually with the latest available vintage of the data.
How often are the bordering countries figures updated?
Once a year, in line with the source institution's publishing schedule. Major institutions like the World Bank, IMF and UNESCO publish annual updates in different months — typically autumn or spring — and the figures here reflect the most recently published vintage. The source footer on the ranking table shows which year's data is currently displayed.