2011
South Sudan
Independent from Sudan after a referendum backed by nearly 99% of voters, ending decades of civil war. The 193rd UN member — and still the newest.
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🌍 Countries & GeographyThe Newest Countries in the World
The world map looks fixed, but it isn't. New countries are still being born — through referendums, independence movements and the break-up of larger states. Here are the world's youngest nations, most recent first, how each came to be, and the island that could be next.
The world's newest country: South Sudan 🇸🇸 — it split from Sudan on 9 July 2011 after a referendum in which almost 99% voted to separate, ending decades of civil war. It became the 193rd — and most recent — member of the United Nations.
🗓️ The 21st-century newcomers
Every sovereign state born so far this century, from newest to oldest.
2008
Kosovo
Declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. Recognised by around 100 countries but not a UN member, as Serbia, Russia and China withhold recognition — newer than South Sudan by declaration, but not fully recognised.
2006
Montenegro
Separated peacefully from its union with Serbia in June 2006, after a referendum that passed with just over the required 55%.
2006
Serbia
When Montenegro left, Serbia became a fully independent state in its own right for the first time in nearly a century — usually treated as the successor to the former union.
2002
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
The first new sovereign state of the 21st century, gaining full independence on 20 May 2002 after a UN-run transition following the end of Indonesian rule.
Coming soon? Bougainville 🏝️ — this autonomous island region of Papua New Guinea voted ~98% for independence in a 2019 referendum, with a target of becoming independent by around 2027 once Papua New Guinea's parliament ratifies it. If it happens, Bougainville would be the world's first new country since South Sudan. It isn't independent yet — so South Sudan keeps the title for now.
🌊 The 1990s: the great wave
The biggest surge of new countries in modern history came in a single decade, as the Cold War's empires and federations broke apart.
Namibia 1990
Independence from South African rule — one of Africa's last colonies to become free.
Eritrea 1993
Broke from Ethiopia after a referendum, ending a thirty-year war of independence.
Czechia 1993
The peaceful "Velvet Divorce" split Czechoslovakia in two.
Slovakia 1993
The other half of the Velvet Divorce, independent since 1 January 1993.
Palau 1994
One of the last UN trust territories, fully independent from US administration in 1994.
Those are just the headlines. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created 15 new states in one stroke — from Ukraine and Kazakhstan to the three Baltic nations — while the break-up of Yugoslavia produced Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, North Macedonia and, in time, Montenegro, Kosovo and today's Serbia. In all, more than 30 countries have joined the UN in the past 35 years.
What counts as a "new" country?
It depends on where you draw the line. A place can declare independence (like Kosovo in 2008), be recognised by some governments but not others, and — the usual final step — be admitted to the United Nations (like South Sudan in 2011). That's why the "newest country" can have more than one answer: Kosovo declared independence more recently than South Sudan, but South Sudan was the last to gain a UN seat. It's the same reason the world can't quite agree on how many countries there are.
Frequently asked questions
What is the newest country in the world?
South Sudan, independent from Sudan on 9 July 2011 and the 193rd member of the United Nations.
What was the first new country of the 21st century?
Timor-Leste (East Timor), which gained full independence on 20 May 2002.
Will there be a new country soon?
Bougainville is the strongest candidate — about 98% voted for independence from Papua New Guinea in 2019, with a target of around 2027. It isn't independent yet.
Is Kosovo a country?
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognised by around 100 countries, but it isn't a UN member because Serbia, Russia and China don't recognise it — so it depends on the definition.
How many new countries were created in the 1990s?
Dozens — the Soviet collapse alone created 15, and the breakups of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia added more.
Related guides
Flag images via flagcdn.com. Current as of 2026; South Sudan (2011) remains the world's newest sovereign state.