How Many Countries Are in Latin America and the Caribbean?

There are 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the United Nations.

But why do some sources say there are only 20 countries in Latin America?

20 or 33? Which Number Is Correct?

Both numbers are correct because they use different definitions of the region.

• 33 countries: Includes independent countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, based on the United Nations regional grouping.
• 20 countries: Follows the commonly used linguistic and cultural definition of Latin America.

According to these definitions, the full list of countries is shown in the table below.

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Complete List of Latin American and Caribbean Countries

Explore all 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, with their flags, capitals, regions, land areas, 2026 population estimates, languages, currencies, calling codes, and ISO codes. Use the filters to find the 20 countries commonly included in Latin America or explore the 13 Caribbean countries.

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All Countries (33) Latin America Definition (20) Caribbean (13)

Showing 33 countries

No.	Flag	Country	Capital	Region	Total Area (km²)	Population(2026 est.)	Language	Currency	Calling Code	ISO Code
1		Brazil	Brasília	South America	8,515,767	213.8 million	Portuguese	Brazilian real (BRL)	+55	BR
2		Mexico	Mexico City	North America	1,964,375	133.3 million	Spanish	Mexican peso (MXN)	+52	MX
3		Argentina	Buenos Aires	South America	2,780,085	46.0 million	Spanish	Argentine peso (ARS)	+54	AR
4		Colombia	Bogotá	South America	1,141,748	54.1 million	Spanish	Colombian peso (COP)	+57	CO
5		Peru	Lima	South America	1,285,216	35.03 million	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara	Sol (PEN)	+51	PE
6		Venezuela	Caracas	South America	916,445	28.65 million	Spanish	Bolívar (VES)	+58	VE
7		Chile	Santiago	South America	756,102	19.98 million	Spanish	Chilean peso (CLP)	+56	CL
8		Guatemala	Guatemala City	Central America	108,889	19.1 million	Spanish	Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ)	+502	GT
9		Ecuador	Quito	South America	283,561	18.48 million	Spanish	US dollar (USD)	+593	EC
10		Bolivia	Sucre	South America	1,098,581	12.79 million	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara	Boliviano (BOB)	+591	BO
11		Haiti	Port-au-Prince	Caribbean	27,750	12.0 million	Haitian Creole, French	Gourde (HTG)	+509	HT
12		Dominican Republic	Santo Domingo	Caribbean	48,671	11.6 million	Spanish	Dominican peso (DOP)	+1-809, +1-829, +1-849	DO
13		Honduras	Tegucigalpa	Central America	112,777	11.2 million	Spanish	Lempira (HNL)	+504	HN
14		Cuba	Havana	Caribbean	110,860	10.9 million	Spanish	Cuban peso (CUP)	+53	CU
15		Nicaragua	Managua	Central America	130,370	7.0 million	Spanish	Córdoba (NIO)	+505	NI
16		Paraguay	Asunción	South America	406,752	7.1 million	Spanish, Guaraní	Guaraní (PYG)	+595	PY
17		El Salvador	San Salvador	Central America	21,041	6.4 million	Spanish	US dollar (USD)	+503	SV
18		Costa Rica	San José	Central America	51,100	5.2 million	Spanish	Costa Rican colón (CRC)	+506	CR
19		Panama	Panama City	Central America	75,417	4.6 million	Spanish	Balboa (PAB), US dollar (USD)	+507	PA
20		Uruguay	Montevideo	South America	176,215	3.55 million	Spanish	Uruguayan peso (UYU)	+598	UY
21		Jamaica	Kingston	Caribbean	10,991	2.8 million	English	Jamaican dollar (JMD)	+1-876, +1-658	JM
22		Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain	Caribbean	5,130	1.5 million	English	Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)	+1-868	TT
23		Guyana	Georgetown	South America	214,970	842,208	English	Guyanese dollar (GYD)	+592	GY
24		Suriname	Paramaribo	South America	163,820	658,200	Dutch	Surinamese dollar (SRD)	+597	SR
25		Belize	Belmopan	Central America	22,966	430,271	English	Belize dollar (BZD)	+501	BZ
26		Bahamas	Nassau	Caribbean	13,880	404,628	English	Bahamian dollar (BSD)	+1-242	BS
27		Barbados	Bridgetown	Caribbean	430	283,000	English	Barbadian dollar (BBD)	+1-246	BB
28		Saint Lucia	Castries	Caribbean	617	180,650	English	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	+1-758	LC
29		Grenada	St. George’s	Caribbean	344	117,425	English	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	+1-473	GD
30		Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Kingstown	Caribbean	389	100,000	English	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	+1-784	VC
31		Antigua and Barbuda	St. John’s	Caribbean	442.6	95,000	English	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	+1-268	AG
32		Dominica	Roseau	Caribbean	751	66,000	English	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	+1-767	DM
33		Saint Kitts and Nevis	Basseterre	Caribbean	261	47,022	English	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	+1-869	KN

Note: The 33-country list follows the regional grouping commonly used for Latin America and the Caribbean. The 20-country definition follows a commonly used linguistic and cultural classification. Definitions may vary by source. Population figures are 2026 estimates.

Latin America and the Caribbean by Population and Area

Brazil is the largest and most populous country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Argentina ranks second in land area, while Mexico has the second-largest population. On the other end of the scale, Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country by area, and Dominica is among the least populous. The table above makes it easy to compare the land area and estimated 2026 population of all 33 countries.

See also: World Clock by Country, Current Time, and Time Converter to check local times around the world.