Headline finding
South Sudan leads the world for newest countries at 2011 year of independence.
The full top 20: Newest countries
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 South Sudan 2011
- 2 Montenegro 2006
- 3 Serbia 2006
- 4 East Timor 2002
- 5 Palau 1994
- 6 Czech Republic 1993
- 7 Slovakia 1993
- 8 Eritrea 1993
- 9 Bosnia & Herzegovina 1992
- 10 Croatia 1991
- 11 Slovenia 1991
- 12 North Macedonia 1991
- 13 Ukraine 1991
- 14 Belarus 1991
- 15 Moldova 1991
- 16 Kazakhstan 1991
- 17 Uzbekistan 1991
- 18 Estonia 1991
- 19 Latvia 1991
- 20 Lithuania 1990
What the numbers show
South Sudan's lead at the top of this ranking is 0.2% 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 — South Sudan, Montenegro, Serbia, East Timor, Palau — together set the global benchmark. The next 15 countries fill the rest of the table, with Lithuania anchoring the list at 1990.
Figures are drawn from UN Member States. 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
- year of independence
- Source
- UN Member States
- 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 countries?
South Sudan leads with 2011 year of independence. Montenegro is second at 2006, with Serbia in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the countries ranking?
The figures come from UN Member States. 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 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.