Countries with the most islands
Sweden's archipelago alone holds more islands than most continents. Definitions vary — these figures use each country's official national survey methodology.
Headline finding
Sweden leads the world for countries with the most islands at 267,570 islands (named + unnamed).
The full top 25: Countries with the most islands
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 Sweden 267,570
- 2 Norway 239,057
- 3 Finland 188,000
- 4 Canada 52,455
- 5 United States 18,617
- 6 Indonesia 17,500
- 7 Japan 14,125
- 8 Australia 8,222
- 9 Philippines 7,641
- 10 United Kingdom 6,289
- 11 Estonia 2,222
- 12 Greece 6,000
- 13 Croatia 1,244
- 14 Chile 5,000
- 15 Ireland 574
- 16 New Zealand 600
- 17 Mexico 1,356
- 18 Brazil 2,000
- 19 Panama 1,518
- 20 France 800
- 21 Italy 450
- 22 Spain 1,700
- 23 Maldives 1,192
- 24 Fiji 332
- 25 Cuba 4,195
What the numbers show
Sweden's lead at the top of this ranking is 11.9% 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 — Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada, United States — together set the global benchmark. The next 20 countries fill the rest of the table, with Cuba anchoring the list at 4,195.
Figures are drawn from Various national geographic surveys, 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
- islands (named + unnamed)
- Source
- Various national geographic surveys, 2024
- Coverage
- Top 25 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 countries with the most islands?
Sweden leads with 267,570 islands (named + unnamed). Norway is second at 239,057, with Finland in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the countries with the most islands ranking?
The figures come from Various national geographic surveys, 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 countries with the most islands 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.