International Recognition of
Palestine: Countries, Timeline,
Statements & Sources

Current Status

The latest consolidated UN figure located for this page was 147 recognizing UN Member States as of 31 July 2025. The UN then recorded 10 additional recognition announcements on 22 September 2025. Because a single later consolidated 2026 list was not located in the official UN material reviewed, this page does not invent a current total. Palestine holds non-member observer State status under UNGA Resolution 67/19, adopted in 2012 with 138 votes in favour.

Regional Breakdown

• Africa: Nearly all 54 countries recognize Palestine
• Asia/Middle East: Majority recognize (except Japan, South Korea, Singapore)
• Europe: Growing number — led by Sweden (2014), Spain/Ireland/Norway (2024)
• Americas: Most Latin American countries recognize; US and Canada do not
• Oceania: Only Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea recognize

• 15 Nov 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence — Yasser Arafat declares State of Palestine in Algiers
• 1988-1990 First Wave — 80+ countries recognize, mostly Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe
• 2010-2011 Latin American Wave — Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador recognize
• 2012 UN Observer State — UNGA Resolution 67/19 (138-9 vote)
• 2014 Sweden — First Western European EU member to recognize
• 2024 Major European Wave — Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Armenia recognize
• 2024 UNGA Sovereignty Vote — 143-9 vote supporting Palestinian sovereignty
• 2025 Ongoing — Multiple countries considering recognition

Africa (Nearly All 54 Countries)

South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Comoros, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Lesotho, Eswatini, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe — among others.

Asia & Middle East

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India (recognized 1988), Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, North Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan — among others.

Europe (Growing List)

Recognize: Sweden (2014), Spain (2024), Ireland (2024), Norway (2024), Slovenia (2024), Armenia (2024), Iceland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine (recognized 1988 but later withdrew support), Vatican City, Malta, Cyprus.

Do NOT Recognize: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova.

Americas

Recognize: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia (2024), Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Belize, Suriname, Guyana.

Do NOT Recognize: United States, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Oceania

Recognize: Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea.
Do NOT Recognize: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu.

Other Notable Statements

• Brazil (2010): “Brazil recognises the State of Palestine within the 1967 borders.”
• Argentina (2010): “Argentina recognises Palestine as a free and independent state.”
• Turkey (1988): “We recognise the State of Palestine as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
• South Africa (1995): “Our own struggle against apartheid informs our solidarity with Palestine.”
• China (1988): “China has always supported the just cause of the Palestinian people.”

Complete List (28+ Countries)

Key Context

Most of these countries are members of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) or have had historical conflicts with Israel. Their non-recognition is based on:

• Solidarity with Palestine: Viewing Israeli occupation as illegitimate
• Arab League policy: Collective non-recognition until peace deal
• Islamic identity: Al-Aqsa Mosque significance
• Historical conflicts: Wars with Israel (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq)
• Anti-imperialist stance: Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea

UN Official Documents (Downloadable)

Official Sources

• UN Question of Palestine: un.org/unispal
• UNGA Resolutions: GA Resolutions Database
• PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs: mofa.pna.ps

Academic & Reference

• Wikipedia — Recognition of Palestine: Full List
• Wikipedia — Foreign Relations of Israel: Non-Recognition List
• Al Jazeera — Palestine Recognition: Coverage
• Reuters — 2024 Recognition Wave: News

Key UN General Assembly Votes

Countries That Voted Against (2024 ES-10/23)

• United States, Israel, Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea

Why this wave matters

The recent wave moved recognition beyond its earlier regional concentration and brought several Western European and Commonwealth states into the recognition group. The UN described the September 2025 conference as a major acceleration of diplomatic recognition.

Japan said recognition was a matter of “when” rather than “if” while continuing its deliberations. Its statement also said Japan would continue supporting Palestinian aspirations for an independent state.

New Zealand subsequently announced at the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2025 that it would not recognize Palestine at that time. Its policy page still describes recognition as a matter of “when, not if”.

A public commitment, a “when not if” statement, and an actual act of recognition are three different stages. The site will keep them separate so that future policy statements are not presented as completed recognitions.

What recognition can change

Recognition can affect diplomatic representation, treaty practice, bilateral relations, participation in international forums and the way a government describes Palestine in its foreign policy.

What recognition does not automatically change

Recognition by one government does not by itself create full UN membership, settle borders, determine the final political status of Jerusalem, or resolve the wider conflict.

15 November 1988

The Palestinian National Council proclaimed the State of Palestine in Algiers. Recognition followed rapidly across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

Why 1988–1990 matters

This period established the diplomatic foundation for the State of Palestine’s later international status. By the early 1990s, recognition had spread across a large part of the Global South and the Non-Aligned Movement.

These terms should not be treated as interchangeable. A country can recognize Palestine without having a full embassy-level relationship, while another government can maintain extensive contact without having taken the same formal recognition step.

Why the distinction matters

It prevents recognition maps from being confused with embassy maps, trade relations, voting patterns or UN membership status.

Palestine remains a non-member observer State rather than a full UN Member State. The UN record contains decades of resolutions concerning self-determination, refugees, occupation, Jerusalem, settlements and Palestinian statehood.