US Trends

how many countries recognise palestine

As of late 2025, the State of Palestine is recognized by about 157 of the 193 UN member states , which is a bit over 80 percent of all UN members, plus the Holy See (Vatican) as a non‑member observer.

Current recognition numbers

  • Several diplomatic analyses and news outlets in 2025 report that 157 UN member countries recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.
  • This figure represents roughly 81 percent of UN member states.
  • In addition, the Holy See (Vatican) also recognizes Palestine, but it is not a UN member state (it is a permanent observer).

So if you’re counting only UN member states: about 157.
If you include the Vatican as well: effectively 158 entities offering recognition.

How this has changed recently

  • Many states in Asia, Africa, and Latin America recognized Palestine decades ago, especially after the 1988 declaration of independence. These formed the bulk of early recognitions.
  • Since the war in Gaza that escalated from October 2023, there has been a new wave of recognitions , including countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, along with European states like France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Andorra in 2024–2025.
  • One detailed tally in September 2025 notes that these recent moves bring the count to 156–157 recognizing countries , depending on how specific conditional recognitions are counted.

A useful way to think of it: most of the Global South and a growing number of Western countries now recognize Palestine, while a smaller group of mostly Western states (including the US, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea) still do not, at least as of late 2025.

Countries that do not recognize Palestine

While exact lists shift as new recognitions are announced, sources note that:

  • Several G7 and close US allies still have not extended full recognition, notably the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea , though some (like Italy and Japan) have signaled they might recognize in the future under certain conditions.
  • Informal maps and discussions in 2025 show that many of the remaining non‑recognizing states are in Western Europe, North America, and parts of the Pacific/Asia.

Because this is a fast‑moving diplomatic issue, the exact number can change with new announcements, but “around 157 UN countries recognize Palestine” is the most widely cited figure for late 2025.

TL;DR:
If you’re looking for a concise number for “how many countries recognise Palestine” today, the best current public estimates say around 157 of the 193 UN member states , plus the Vatican.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.