Special Report

Every Country in the British Commonwealth

ArisSu / Getty Images

When Queen Elizabeth II died, her son, King Charles III, ascended the throne. King Charles is now not only the titular head of state of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but also the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of 56 independent nations scattered across the globe. (See the most important event in the life of Queen Elizabeth in every year of her reign.)

The Commonwealth is a vestige of the far-flung British empire. As former imperial colonies began to clamor for independence from the Crown, the British government loosened the reins starting in the 1920s and 1930s under new rules enacted under the Imperial Conference of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The changes granted the country’s former dominions more control over their own domestic and foreign affairs. Today, those countries maintain close, friendly ties to the U.K. but operate as sovereign nations.

There are 14 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. The U.K. is also considered a Commonwealth realm. A commonwealth realm recognizes the king as head of state, but only in a symbolic role.

Barbados joined the Commonwealth in 1966, but last year it became a republic. By switching over to a republic form of government, Barbados removed Queen Elizabeth as its head of state. (Find out who are the 20 longest-reigning monarchs in history?)

Some countries, notably, South Africa, Pakistan, Gambia, and Fiji, left the Commonwealth but later rejoined. All but two – Mozambique and Rwanda – were once part of Britain’s imperial empire. 

To determine every country in the Commonwealth, 24/7 Wall St. consulted Britannica, Wikipedia, and UK.gov. Countries are ordered by the date they joined the Commonwealth. Countries that left the Commonwealth and rejoined are listed with their original joining date. Population figures are for 2021 from the World Bank.

The ascension of King Charles renewed discussions about the mistreatment of native peoples under British imperial rule. Even before Queen Elizabeth death’s, when Prince William and Princess Kate’s tour of the Caribbean countries of Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas in March drew protests about past slavery and colonialism in the region.

Click here to see every country in the British Commonwealth.

Manakin / iStock via Getty Images

1. United Kingdom
> Joined: Nov. 19, 1926
> Population: 67,326,570
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad]

omersukrugoksu / E+ via Getty Images

2. Australia
> Joined: Nov. 19, 1926
> Population: 25,739,260
> System of government: Federal Commonwealth realm

Cerbi / iStock via Getty Images

3. Canada
> Joined: Nov. 19, 1926
> Population: 38,246,110
> System of government: Federal Commonwealth realm

omersukrugoksu / E+ via Getty Images

4. New Zealand
> Joined: Nov. 19, 1926
> Population: 512,260
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad-2]

KeithBinns / E+ via Getty Images

5. South Africa
> Joined: Nov. 19, 1926
> Population: 600,420
> System of government: Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency

omersukrugoksu / E+ via Getty Images

6. Pakistan
> Joined: Aug. 14, 1947
> Population: 225,199,930
> System of government: Federal Westminster republic

[in-text-ad]

FilmColoratStudio / iStock via Getty Images

7. India
> Joined: Aug. 15, 1947
> Population: 1,393,409,030
> System of government: Federal Westminster republic

KeithBinns / E+ via Getty Images

8. Sri Lanka
> Joined: Feb. 4, 1948
> Population: 221,560
> System of government: Unitary semi-presidential republic

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

9. Ghana
> Joined: March 6, 1957
> Population: 31,732,130
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

[in-text-ad-2]

FilmColoratStudio / iStock via Getty Images

10. Malaysia
> Joined: Aug. 31, 1957
> Population: 32,776,190
> System of government: Federal Westminster monarchy

beyhanyazar / iStock via Getty Images

11. Nigeria
> Joined: Oct. 1, 1960
> Population: 21,140,070
> System of government: Federal presidential republic

[in-text-ad]

Danieloncarevic / iStock via Getty Images

12. Cyprus
> Joined: March 13, 1961
> Population: 1,215,590
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

suprunvitaly / iStock via Getty Images

13. Sierra Leone
> Joined: April 27, 1961
> Population: 8,141,340
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

beyhanyazar / iStock via Getty Images

14. Tanzania
> Joined: Dec. 9, 1961
> Population: 61,498,440
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

[in-text-ad-2]

200mm / iStock via Getty Images

15. Jamaica
> Joined: Aug. 6, 1962
> Population: 2,973,460
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

sharrocks / iStock via Getty Images

16. Trinidad and Tobago
> Joined: Aug. 31, 1962
> Population: 1,403,370
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

[in-text-ad]

Pawel Gaul / iStock via Getty Images

17. Uganda
> Joined: Oct. 9, 1962
> Population: 47,123,530
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

18. Kenya
> Joined: Dec. 12, 1963
> Population: 5,498,570
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

PeterHermesFurian / Getty Images

19. Malawi
> Joined: July 6, 1964
> Population: 19,647,680
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

[in-text-ad-2]

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

20. Malta
> Joined: Sep. 21, 1964
> Population: 516,870
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

chrispecoraro / iStock via Getty Images

21. Zambia
> Joined: Oct. 24, 1964
> Population: 18,920,660
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

[in-text-ad]

chrispecoraro / iStock via Getty Images

22. Gambia
> Joined: Feb. 18, 1965
> Population: 2,486,940
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

dk_photos / iStock via Getty Images

23. Guyana
> Joined: May 26, 1966
> Population: 790,330
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

24. Singapore
> Joined: Aug. 9, 1966
> Population: 5,453,570
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

[in-text-ad-2]

KeithBinns / E+ via Getty Images

25. Botswana
> Joined: Sep. 30, 1966
> Population: 2,397,240
> System of government: Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

26. Lesotho
> Joined: Oct. 4, 1966
> Population: 2,159,070
> System of government: Unitary Westminster monarchy

[in-text-ad]

goralikus / iStock via Getty Images

27. Barbados
> Joined: Nov. 30, 1966
> Population: 287,710
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

Rainer Lesniewski / iStock via Getty Images

28. Mauritius
> Joined: March 12, 1968
> Population: 1,266,060
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

Rainer Lesniewski / iStock via Getty Images

29. Eswatini
> Joined: Sep. 6, 1968
> Population: 1,172,370
> System of government: Unitary absolute monarchy

[in-text-ad-2]

Rainer Lesniewski / iStock via Getty Images

30. Nauru
> Joined: Nov. 1, 1968
> Population: 10,870
> System of government: Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

31. Tonga
> Joined: June 4, 1970
> Population: 106,760
> System of government: Unitary constitutional monarchy

[in-text-ad]

mvaligursky / iStock via Getty Images

32. Samoa
> Joined: Aug. 28, 1970
> Population: 200,140
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images

33. Fiji
> Joined: Oct. 10, 1970
> Population: 90,290
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

200mm / iStock via Getty Images

34. Bangladesh
> Joined: April 18, 1972
> Population: 166,303,490
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

[in-text-ad-2]

pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images

35. The Bahamas
> Joined: July 10, 1973
> Population: 396,910
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

36. Grenada
> Joined: Feb. 7, 1974
> Population: 113,020
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad]

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

37. Papua New Guinea
> Joined: Sep. 16, 1975
> Population: 91,190
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

38. Seychelles
> Joined: June 29, 1976
> Population: 9,920
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

chrispecoraro / iStock via Getty Images

39. Solomon Islands
> Joined: July 7, 1978
> Population: 7,040
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad-2]

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

40. Tuvalu
> Joined: Oct. 1, 1978
> Population: 11,930
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

41. Dominica
> Joined: Nov. 3, 1978
> Population: 72,170
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

[in-text-ad]

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

42. Saint Lucia
> Joined: Feb. 22, 1979
> Population: 18,440
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

43. Kiribati
> Joined: July 12, 1979
> Population: 121,390
> System of government: Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

44. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
> Joined: Oct. 27, 1979
> Population: 111,270
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad-2]

LorenzoT81 / iStock via Getty Images

45. Vanuatu
> Joined: July 30, 1980
> Population: 314,460
> System of government: Unitary Westminster republic

Eivaisla / iStock via Getty Images

46. Belize
> Joined: Sep. 21, 1981
> Population: 404,920
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad]

bogdanserban / iStock via Getty Images

47. Antigua and Barbuda
> Joined: Nov. 1, 1981
> Population: 98,730
> System of government: Unitary Commonwealth realm

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

48. Maldives
> Joined: July 9, 1982
> Population: 543,620
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

PeterHermesFurian / iStock via Getty Images

49. Saint Kitts and Nevis
> Joined: Sep. 19, 1983
> Population: 53,550
> System of government: Federal Commonwealth realm

[in-text-ad-2]

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

50. Brunei
> Joined: Jan. 1, 1984
> Population: 441,530
> System of government: Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy

yorkfoto / iStock via Getty Images

51. Namibia
> Joined: March 21, 1990
> Population: 2,587,340
> System of government: Unitary semi-presidential republic

[in-text-ad]

Pawel Gaul / Getty Images

52. Cameroon
> Joined: Nov. 13, 1995
> Population: 27,224,260
> System of government: Unitary semi-presidential republic

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

53. Mozambique
> Joined: Nov. 13, 1995
> Population: 32,163,040
> System of government: Unitary semi-presidential republic

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

54. Rwanda
> Joined: Nov. 29, 2009
> Population: 13,276,520
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

[in-text-ad-2]

dk_photos / iStock via Getty Images

55. Gabon
> Joined: June 25, 2022
> Population: 2,278,830
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

omersukrugoksu / iStock via Getty Images

56. Togo
> Joined: June 25, 2022
> Population: 8,478,240
> System of government: Unitary presidential republic

Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.