Most UNESCO heritage sites
Italy and China are tied at 60 sites — from Pompeii and the Dolomites to the Great Wall and Mt Tai.
Headline finding
Italy leads the world for most unesco heritage sites at 60 inscribed sites.
The full top 25: Most UNESCO heritage sites
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 Italy 60
- 2 China 60
- 3 Germany 54
- 4 France 53
- 5 Spain 50
- 6 India 43
- 7 Mexico 35
- 8 United Kingdom 35
- 9 Russia 32
- 10 Iran 28
- 11 Japan 26
- 12 United States 26
- 13 Brazil 23
- 14 Australia 20
- 15 Canada 22
- 16 Greece 19
- 17 Turkey 21
- 18 Poland 17
- 19 Portugal 17
- 20 South Korea 16
- 21 Czech Republic 17
- 22 Peru 13
- 23 Belgium 16
- 24 Sweden 15
- 25 Argentina 12
What the numbers show
Italy'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 — Italy, China, Germany, France, Spain — together set the global benchmark. The next 20 countries fill the rest of the table, with Argentina anchoring the list at 12.
Figures are drawn from UNESCO World Heritage List 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
- inscribed sites
- Source
- UNESCO World Heritage List 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 unesco heritage sites?
Italy leads with 60 inscribed sites. China is second at 60, with Germany in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the unesco heritage sites ranking?
The figures come from UNESCO World Heritage List 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 unesco heritage sites 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.