South America is one of the more straightforward continents to count, at least compared to Asia, Europe, or North America. It has 12 sovereign countries, a figure that is well established across major reference sources. There are 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean today, according to the United Nations, with South America accounting for a distinct subset of that total. This article breaks down the full list, explains the handful of territories that sometimes cause confusion, and lists population figures for every country.
The short answer: 12 countries
South America is home to 12 sovereign, independent countries. This is one of the more stable continental counts, since South America has no partially recognized states and only a small number of transcontinental or disputed territory questions compared to other continents.
The 12 countries are Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname.
Why this number rarely causes confusion
Unlike Asia or Europe, South America does not have transcontinental countries splitting opinion on where its borders lie, and it has no widely disputed statehood questions like Taiwan or Kosovo. The one recurring point of confusion involves French Guiana, which sits on the northeastern coast of South America but is not an independent country. It is an overseas department of France, meaning it is legally part of French territory rather than a sovereign state in its own right, similar to how Puerto Rico relates to the United States or Greenland relates to Denmark.
The Falkland Islands present a similar case in the South Atlantic. They are a British Overseas Territory, administered by the United Kingdom, and are not counted as an independent country, even though Argentina disputes British sovereignty over them.
Full list of South America’s 12 countries and their populations
Below is the complete list of South American countries with current population figures, based on United Nations-sourced data compiled by Worldometer.
| # | Country | Population (2026) | Land area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 213,562,666 | 8,358,140 |
| 2 | Colombia | 53,936,226 | 1,109,500 |
| 3 | Argentina | 46,003,734 | 2,736,690 |
| 4 | Peru | 34,922,148 | 1,280,000 |
| 5 | Venezuela | 28,633,711 | 882,050 |
| 6 | Chile | 19,945,850 | 743,532 |
| 7 | Ecuador | 18,444,506 | 248,360 |
| 8 | Bolivia | 12,749,291 | 1,083,300 |
| 9 | Paraguay | 7,095,279 | 397,300 |
| 10 | Uruguay | 3,382,537 | 175,020 |
| 11 | Guyana | 840,890 | 196,850 |
| 12 | Suriname | 645,256 | 156,000 |
Not included in this 12-country total, but often listed for context, are two territories:
| Territory | Population (2026) | Governed by |
|---|---|---|
| French Guiana | 318,872 | France |
| Falkland Islands | 3,465 | United Kingdom |
Two things stand out from this data. Brazil is overwhelmingly the continent’s largest and most populous country, home to more than 213 million people, over four times the population of the second-largest country, Colombia. At the other end, Suriname is South America’s least populous sovereign country, with just under 650,000 residents.
How South America fits into the wider region
South America is one of three subregions that make up what statistical sources classify as Latin America and the Caribbean, alongside Central America and the Caribbean itself. Together, these three subregions total 33 sovereign countries. There are 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean today, according to the United Nations. Of that total, 12 sit within South America, 8 within Central America and Mexico, and 13 across the Caribbean.
This broader grouping is why population and economic data are sometimes reported for “Latin America and the Caribbean” as a whole rather than for South America alone, which can occasionally make South America’s individual country count harder to isolate in casual reporting.
Recent developments and the latest data
Venezuela’s population figures have been closely watched by demographers in recent years due to large-scale outward migration, which has affected both Venezuela’s own population count and that of neighboring countries like Colombia and Peru, which have absorbed a significant share of Venezuelan migrants. Brazil, meanwhile, continues to account for roughly half of South America’s total population on its own, a reflection of its outsized land area and long-standing position as the continent’s demographic and economic center.
Common myths versus documented facts
Myth: “South America has 13 or 14 countries.” This inflated count usually comes from including French Guiana or the Falkland Islands as if they were independent countries. Neither is a sovereign state, so the correct count remains 12.
Myth: “Argentina is South America’s largest country.” This is not accurate. Argentina is the second largest by land area, but Brazil is both larger in area and far larger in population, making Brazil the continent’s dominant country by almost every measure.
Documented fact: South America’s sovereign country count of 12 is consistent across major reference sources and has remained stable for decades, unlike some other continents where the number shifts based on political recognition disputes.
Documented fact: Brazil is South America’s largest and most populous country by a wide margin, while Suriname is both the smallest by population and one of the smallest by land area.
The bottom line
South America has 12 sovereign countries: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname. French Guiana and the Falkland Islands are geographically part of the continent but remain under French and British sovereignty respectively, so they are not counted among South America’s independent nations. This is one of the more settled country counts among the continents, with far less ambiguity than Asia, Europe, or even North America.
This article is based on publicly available reference and statistical sources as of September 2026. Population figures are 2026 estimates and can shift slightly as new census and UN data are released. Readers are encouraged to check the linked sources directly for the most current numbers. If you spot an error or have a correction, please reach out and let us know.
