TLDR
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world at 0.44 km² (0.17 sq mi). Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu and San Marino complete the top five. The full ranking is in the table below, and the smallest country on each continent is further down.
The 15 Smallest Countries by Area
This ranking covers sovereign states: the 193 UN member countries plus Vatican City, which is a UN observer state. Dependencies like Gibraltar or Macau and micronations like Sealand are left out (more on that below).
| Rank | Country | Area (km²) | Area (sq mi) | Population (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatican City | 0.44 | 0.17 | 800 |
| 2 | Monaco | 2.02 | 0.78 | 39,000 |
| 3 | Nauru | 21 | 8.1 | 12,500 |
| 4 | Tuvalu | 26 | 10 | 11,000 |
| 5 | San Marino | 61 | 24 | 34,000 |
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 160 | 62 | 39,000 |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 181 | 70 | 42,000 |
| 8 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 | 101 | 47,000 |
| 9 | Maldives | 298 | 115 | 515,000 |
| 10 | Malta | 316 | 122 | 520,000 |
| 11 | Grenada | 344 | 133 | 125,000 |
| 12 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 | 150 | 110,000 |
| 13 | Barbados | 430 | 166 | 282,000 |
| 14 | Antigua and Barbuda | 442 | 171 | 100,000 |
| 15 | Seychelles | 455 | 176 | 120,000 |
Figures are rounded. Sources differ by a few percent on some entries, which the methodology section explains.
Profiles of the 15 Smallest Countries
1. Vatican City
At 0.44 km², Vatican City is about one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park. It’s a walled enclave inside Rome, and you can cross it on foot in under ten minutes. It has no native-born citizens in the usual sense: citizenship comes with a job, mostly church officials and the Swiss Guard, and ends when the job does. Roughly 800 people hold it.
2. Monaco
Monaco covers about 2 km², less than two-thirds of Central Park, yet it holds around 39,000 residents. That makes it the most densely populated country on earth. It has grown by reclaiming land from the Mediterranean, and it hosts a Formula 1 Grand Prix on streets that double as the city’s commuter roads the rest of the year.
3. Nauru
Nauru is a single raised coral island of 21 km², roughly a third of Manhattan. You can drive around the coastal road in about 30 minutes. Phosphate mining stripped most of the interior, leaving a barren plateau, and the economy has been fragile ever since. It’s also the smallest island nation and the smallest republic.
4. Tuvalu
Tuvalu is nine small atolls scattered across the Pacific, totaling 26 km². The highest point sits only a few meters above sea level, so rising seas are a daily planning issue rather than a future one. The country, counted among the smallest in Oceania, earns surprising money from its internet domain, .tv.
5. San Marino
San Marino’s 61 km² is almost exactly the size of Manhattan (about 59 km²). It sits on Monte Titano in Italy, entirely surrounded by Italian territory, and claims to be the world’s oldest surviving republic, founded in 301 CE. Medieval towers on the ridge are the main draw.
6. Liechtenstein
At 160 km², Liechtenstein is a bit smaller than Washington, D.C. It’s a constitutional monarchy squeezed between Switzerland and Austria, uses the Swiss franc, and is one of the world’s few doubly landlocked countries, meaning every neighbor is itself landlocked. It has more registered companies than citizens would suggest, thanks to low corporate taxes.
7. Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands scatter 181 km² of land across roughly 1.9 million km² of Pacific Ocean. That ratio of land to water is one of the most extreme anywhere. Bikini and Enewetak atolls were nuclear test sites for the United States in the 1940s and 1950s.
8. Saint Kitts and Nevis
Two volcanic islands, 261 km² combined, make up the smallest country in the Americas by both area and population. Nevis is the quieter of the pair and has its own island assembly.
9. Maldives
The Maldives spreads 298 km² of land over more than 1,000 coral islands. It’s the smallest country in Asia and the lowest-lying country on the planet, with a highest natural point of about 2.4 meters. It also has the largest population of any country in the top ten, around half a million.
10. Malta
Malta’s 316 km² of main island and two smaller neighbors, Gozo and Comino, pack in over 500,000 people. It’s the smallest EU member by area, and the densest of the group aside from the microstates above. Valletta, the capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage city.
11. Grenada
Grenada’s 344 km² includes the main island plus Carriacou and Petite Martinique. It’s known as the “Spice Isle” for its nutmeg and mace, which appear on its national flag.
12. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The main island of Saint Vincent holds most of the 389 km² and nearly all of the people. The rest are the Grenadines, a chain of small islands, some privately owned, that stretch south toward Grenada.
13. Barbados
Barbados covers 430 km² and sits east of the rest of the Caribbean chain, which keeps it out of most hurricane paths. It became a republic in 2021 after removing the British monarch as head of state.
14. Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua is the busy one, with the airport and most of the people. Barbuda is flatter and nearly empty. Of the pair’s 442 km², Antigua takes roughly 280 and Barbuda 160. Antigua is often said to have 365 beaches, one for each day.
15. Seychelles
Seychelles has 455 km² of land across 115 islands. It’s the smallest country in Africa and the least populous. Granite islands such as Mahé and Praslin sit alongside low coral atolls.
Smallest Country on Each Continent
- Europe: Vatican City (0.44 km²), also the smallest in the world.
- Africa: Seychelles (455 km²).
- Asia: Maldives (298 km²).
- North America: Saint Kitts and Nevis (261 km²).
- South America: Suriname (about 163,800 km²). South America has no microstates, and Suriname is the smallest of its 12 sovereign countries.
- Oceania: Nauru (21 km²).
Why Sources Disagree on the Numbers
If you’ve seen Monaco listed as 2.0, 2.02 or 2.1 km², all three are in circulation. Reasons for the gaps:
- Land vs. total area. Total area includes lakes, rivers and sometimes territorial waters. Land area doesn’t. For island nations like the Maldives, the difference is large.
- Reclaimed land. Monaco keeps adding area, so older sources are smaller.
- Measurement methods. Coastlines on atolls move with tides and are measured differently by different agencies.
The CIA World Factbook publishes a country-by-country area comparison, and it’s a useful tiebreaker when two sources conflict.
What Counts as a Country?
This list follows the United Nations member state roster, with Vatican City added as the one widely recognized non-member. Other lists make different choices. Count dependencies and Gibraltar (6.8 km²), Macau and Tokelau slot in among the smallest. Count micronations such as Sealand, a former sea fort off England claimed as a sovereign state, and the list stops being about internationally recognized states at all.
Can You Visit the Smallest Countries?
Mostly, yes, and they’re easy trips. Vatican City is open to the public with free entry to St. Peter’s Square; Monaco and San Marino need no visa beyond what Italy or France would require, and have no border checks of note. Liechtenstein has no airport and no train station of consequence: you arrive by bus or car from Switzerland or Austria. The island states take more effort. Nauru and Tuvalu each see only a few flights a week, and Tuvalu receives fewer than 3,000 visitors in most years.
FAQ
What is the smallest country in the world? Vatican City, at 0.44 km² (0.17 sq mi).
What is the smallest country in Europe? Vatican City again. The next smallest in Europe are Monaco and San Marino.
What is the smallest island country? Nauru, at 21 km². Tuvalu is the second smallest.
What is the smallest country by population? Vatican City, with about 800 people. Tuvalu and Nauru follow with around 11,000 and 12,500.
What is the smallest country in Africa? Seychelles, at 455 km².
What is the smallest country in the Americas? Saint Kitts and Nevis, at 261 km².
