When people think about countries with thousands of islands, Indonesia or the Philippines might immediately come to mind. However, the countries with the largest island counts are actually found mostly in northern Europe, where centuries of glacial activity created enormous numbers of small islands, islets, and rocky skerries.
In 2026, Sweden, Norway and Finland dominate the global list, with each country having well over 100,000 islands according to commonly cited national and international counts. Canada and Chile follow at a considerable distance, while the United States, Indonesia and Japan also have thousands of islands spread across their territories.
Top 10 Countries with the Most Islands in the World
The figures can look surprising because having a large number of islands does not necessarily mean that a country is made up mostly of tropical islands. Many of the islands counted in countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland are extremely small and uninhabited. Different countries also use different criteria for deciding what qualifies as an island, so these figures should be treated as geographical estimates rather than perfectly comparable measurements.
1. Sweden
Sweden has the largest number of islands among the countries considered, with around 267,570 islands in the latest 2026 data. The extraordinary figure includes an enormous number of tiny islands and rocky islets, many of which are scattered along the country’s Baltic coastline and throughout its inland lakes.
The Stockholm Archipelago is perhaps the best-known example of Sweden’s island-rich geography. It contains thousands of islands, islets and skerries stretching eastwards from the capital into the Baltic Sea. Some islands have permanent communities, while others are used mainly for summer homes, recreation or remain completely uninhabited.
Sweden’s largest island is Gotland, which is very different from the tiny rocky islands that make up much of the country’s total. Gotland has towns, villages, beaches, forests and historic attractions, making it a genuine travel destination rather than simply a geographical feature.
Despite its enormous total, only a small fraction of Sweden’s islands are inhabited. This highlights one of the most important points about island-count rankings: the majority of the islands responsible for Sweden’s position are very small.
2. Norway
Norway follows Sweden with around 239,057 islands in commonly cited figures. Its extraordinary island count is closely connected to its rugged coastline, which has been heavily shaped by glaciers and is filled with fjords, channels, rocky outcrops and small offshore islands.
Norway’s coastline can feel almost endless because of the way the mainland and islands are broken up by water. Thousands of skerries sit close to the coast, creating sheltered waterways that have been important to fishing communities and maritime travel for centuries.
Some Norwegian islands are famous internationally. The Lofoten Islands are particularly popular with travellers because of their sharp mountains, fishing villages, beaches and Arctic scenery. Further north, islands such as Senja provide dramatic coastal landscapes, while Svalbard adds a vast Arctic island environment to Norway’s territory.
Most of Norway’s islands are tiny and uninhabited. Nevertheless, the sheer number of them gives Norway one of the most intricate island landscapes anywhere in the world.
3. Finland
Finland ranks third, with roughly 198,146 islands in the latest World Population Review figures. Other sources use lower totals depending on their definition, but Finland consistently appears among the countries with the largest island populations in the world.
The country’s enormous number of islands is closely connected to its lakes and its Baltic coastline. Finland is famous for its thousands of lakes, many of which contain their own islands, while the southwestern coastline features extensive archipelagos.
The Archipelago Sea near Turku is one of the country’s most impressive island regions. It contains a huge collection of islands and smaller rocky formations spread across the Baltic, creating a landscape where land and water constantly appear to overlap.
Unlike tropical archipelagos, Finland’s islands are often covered with forests and surrounded by cool northern waters. Many are used as summer destinations, with cottages, saunas and boating forming an important part of Finnish leisure culture.
4. Canada
Canada is the first country outside the Nordic region on this list, with approximately 52,455 islands. Its huge geographical size makes it unsurprising that Canada has such an extensive collection of islands, particularly in its northern and eastern regions.
The Canadian Arctic contains enormous numbers of islands. The Canadian Arctic Archipelago includes some of the largest islands on Earth, including Baffin Island, Victoria Island and Ellesmere Island. These landscapes are dramatically different from the forested and temperate islands found farther south.
Canada also has extensive island groups along its Pacific and Atlantic coasts. British Columbia is particularly well known for its rugged coastal islands, fjords and sheltered waterways, while the Atlantic provinces contain numerous smaller islands.
The country’s islands range from enormous Arctic landmasses to tiny coastal formations. That geographical variety is one of the main reasons Canada’s island count is so high.
5. Chile
Chile ranks fifth among the countries considered, with around 43,471 islands in the latest figures. The country has an unusually long and fragmented coastline, particularly in its southern regions, where mountains, fjords and channels create a complicated network of land and water.
Southern Chile is particularly important to the country’s island geography. The area around Patagonia contains countless islands, channels and fjords, with many remote locations accessible mainly by boat.
Chiloe Island is one of the country’s best-known inhabited islands and is famous for its distinctive wooden churches, colourful houses, green landscapes and strong local traditions. Farther south, the landscape becomes increasingly wild, with glaciers, mountains and uninhabited islands dominating large areas.
Chile’s island count demonstrates how a country’s physical geography can be just as important as its total land area. Its southern coastline has been carved into one of the world’s most complicated coastal landscapes.
6. United States of America
The United States has around 28,449 islands according to the latest 2026 figures used for this ranking. The number includes islands across a geographically enormous area, from Alaska and Hawaii to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and inland waterways.
Alaska is particularly important to the country’s island count. Its coastline includes thousands of islands and smaller land formations, while the Aleutian Islands stretch westwards across the North Pacific in a long chain.
Hawaii provides a completely different type of island landscape. The state is an archipelago of volcanic islands known for beaches, mountains, rainforests, lava landscapes and distinctive ecosystems. Other notable US islands include Long Island, Puerto Rico and numerous smaller islands along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
The United States also has a surprisingly large number of inhabited islands. According to the same dataset, around 10,000 of its islands are inhabited, considerably more than in most countries with similarly high total counts.
7. Indonesia
Indonesia has around 17,508 islands and is one of the world’s most famous archipelagic countries. Unlike Sweden and Norway, however, Indonesia’s huge island count is closely associated with a tropical environment and a substantial population living across numerous islands.
The country stretches across a vast area between the Indian and Pacific oceans and includes major islands such as Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and parts of New Guinea. Thousands of smaller islands surround these major landmasses.
Indonesia’s islands vary enormously. Some are densely populated and contain major cities, while others are remote and covered in forests. Bali is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, while destinations such as Lombok, Flores, Komodo and the Raja Ampat islands offer very different landscapes.
Around 6,000 Indonesian islands are inhabited, making Indonesia one of the world’s most significant countries in terms of populated islands.
8. Japan
Japan has around 14,125 islands according to the current 2026 figures used in the World Population Review dataset. The country is an island nation stretching in an arc across the western Pacific, with four principal islands and thousands of smaller islands.
The main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku contain most of Japan’s population and major cities, but the country’s smaller islands provide enormous geographical variety.
Okinawa and the wider Ryukyu Islands are particularly famous for their subtropical scenery, beaches and coral reefs. Elsewhere, islands in the Seto Inland Sea are known for a mixture of rural landscapes, fishing communities, art destinations and historic settlements.
Japan’s island geography also contributes to its distinctive culture and food traditions. Coastal communities have developed around fishing and maritime trade, while smaller islands often retain traditions that differ considerably from those found on the main islands.
9. Australia
Australia has around 8,222 islands, putting it ninth among the countries considered for this ranking. The figure includes islands surrounding the mainland as well as numerous smaller offshore formations.
Australia’s islands cover an enormous range of environments. Tasmania is by far the largest and is effectively a separate world of mountains, forests, beaches and protected wilderness. Other major islands include Kangaroo Island, Fraser Island, Christmas Island and the Tiwi Islands.
The country’s tropical north has thousands of islands and coastal formations, while the Great Barrier Reef contains hundreds of islands and cays surrounded by coral-rich waters. This gives Australia a particularly wide variety of island landscapes.
Interestingly, Australia itself is sometimes described as an island because it is surrounded by water, but it is generally classified geographically as a continent rather than an island. The island count therefore refers to the additional islands within Australian territory.
10. Philippines
The Philippines completes the top 10 with around 7,641 islands. It is one of the world’s most recognisable archipelagic countries, with islands spread across three main geographical regions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The country’s islands are strongly associated with tropical scenery. Palawan is famous for limestone cliffs, lagoons and clear water, while Boracay is known for its beaches and tourism. Smaller islands throughout the Visayas offer everything from coral reefs and diving sites to quiet fishing villages.
The Philippines also has a large population spread across its islands, with around 2,000 islands listed as inhabited in the latest dataset. This makes the country’s island geography particularly important to everyday life, transportation and tourism.
Its position at the end of this top 10 should not be interpreted as meaning that the Philippines has few islands. More than 7,600 islands still represents an extraordinary geographical concentration, particularly when combined with the country’s tropical climate and extensive coastline.
Why Do Island Counts Vary So Much?
There is no single worldwide standard for counting islands. One source may include tiny skerries and rocky outcrops, while another may count only larger or named islands. Some countries also include islands located in lakes and rivers, while other datasets focus more heavily on marine islands.
This makes comparisons particularly difficult. For example, Sweden’s huge figure includes enormous numbers of small islands and islets, while Indonesia’s count is based on a different geographical and administrative context. Japan has also seen major changes in its reported total following more detailed mapping and surveying.
The definition used by one current dataset is broad: an island is considered a landmass that remains permanently above sea level and is surrounded by either open water or an inland body of water. Even with such a definition, however, national counting practices can differ.
This is why the ranking should be viewed as a comparison of reported island counts rather than an absolutely precise measurement of every island on Earth.
Bottom Line
The countries with the most islands are not necessarily the countries people first associate with tropical archipelagos. Sweden, Norway and Finland dominate the top of this list largely because of the huge numbers of tiny islands, islets and skerries created by glacial activity.
Canada and Chile follow with enormous numbers of islands concentrated around their extensive and often rugged coastlines. The United States also has thousands of islands, particularly around Alaska and its coastal territories.
Indonesia, Japan, Australia and the Philippines demonstrate another side of island geography, with thousands of islands spread across warmer waters and, in many cases, substantial permanent populations.
Ultimately, the exact ranking can change depending on how an island is defined and counted. What remains clear is that these 10 countries contain some of the world’s most extensive and fascinating island landscapes.
FAQs
Among the countries in this ranking, Sweden has the highest reported total, with around 267,570 islands in the latest 2026 dataset. Norway and Finland follow with similarly extraordinary numbers.
No. Indonesia has around 17,508 islands in the current dataset, while Sweden has around 267,570. Indonesia is far more strongly associated with large, inhabited tropical islands, whereas Sweden’s count includes vast numbers of very small islands and islets.
The landscapes of northern Europe were heavily shaped by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Glacial erosion created rugged coastlines, lakes and countless small rocky formations that later became islands. Different counting methods also contribute to the exceptionally high totals reported for these countries.
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