The 15 Countries With the Most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2026
Ranked by UNESCO's official count after the World Heritage Committee's July 2026 session. Italy still leads, but only by one.
Quick Answer
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country, with 62, according to UNESCO. China is one behind with 61, followed by France (56), Germany (55) and Spain (50). India is 6th with 45. The counts include the 25 new sites added at the World Heritage Committee's 48th session in Busan, Republic of Korea, in July 2026.
UNESCO's World Heritage List recognises properties of "outstanding universal value": cultural sites such as historic cities and monuments, natural sites such as national parks, and mixed sites that are both. This ranking uses UNESCO's official count of properties for each country (UNESCO calls them States Parties), as of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from July 19 to 29, 2026. Some sites are shared by two or more countries; UNESCO counts a shared site once for each country it belongs to, and so do we.
A one-site race at the top
Italy and China each added one property in 2026: Italy with "The system of Italian-style condominio theatres of the 18th and 19th centuries in Central Italy", and China with the "Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites". That keeps Italy just one ahead, 62 to 61. France added two properties, "Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944" and the "Royal Capetian Fortresses of Languedoc", more than any other country in 2026.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites by country, 2026 · Number of sites
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, World Heritage List (after the 48th session, July 2026)Tap any country to jump to its full breakdown below.
Ranked #15 to #1
Türkiye
- World Heritage Sites:
- 22
- Category:
- 20 cultural · 2 mixed
Türkiye has 22 World Heritage Sites, tied with Canada.
Türkiye has no purely natural sites; its two mixed sites combine cultural and natural value.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Canada
- World Heritage Sites:
- 22
- Category:
- 10 cultural · 11 natural · 1 mixed
Canada has 22 sites, tied with Türkiye.
Canada is the only country in this top 15 with more natural sites than cultural ones.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Brazil
- World Heritage Sites:
- 26
- Category:
- 16 cultural · 9 natural · 1 mixed
Brazil has 26 sites, including the Amazonia Theaters, added in 2026.
Brazil has the most World Heritage Sites in South America.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
United States
- World Heritage Sites:
- 27
- Category:
- 13 cultural · 13 natural · 1 mixed
The United States has 27 sites, including Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, added in 2026.
It is the only country in this top 15 with exactly as many natural sites as cultural ones.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Japan
- World Heritage Sites:
- 27
- Category:
- 22 cultural · 5 natural
Japan has 27 sites, including the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, added in 2026.
Japan is tied with the United States for 11th place.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Iran
- World Heritage Sites:
- 30
- Category:
- 28 cultural · 2 natural
Iran reached 30 sites in 2026 with Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications.
Iran has the most World Heritage Sites in the Middle East.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Russia
- World Heritage Sites:
- 33
- Category:
- 22 cultural · 11 natural
Russia has 33 sites.
4 of Russia's sites are shared with neighbouring countries, including the Curonian Spit with Lithuania.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
United Kingdom
- World Heritage Sites:
- 35
- Category:
- 29 cultural · 5 natural · 1 mixed
The United Kingdom has 35 sites.
The UK shares 3 of its sites with other countries, including the Frontiers of the Roman Empire with Germany.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Mexico
- World Heritage Sites:
- 36
- Category:
- 28 cultural · 6 natural · 2 mixed
Mexico has 36 sites, the most in the Americas.
None of Mexico's 36 sites is shared with another country.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
India
- World Heritage Sites:
- 45
- Category:
- 37 cultural · 7 natural · 1 mixed
India has 45 sites, including the Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath, added in 2026.
India has the second-most World Heritage Sites in Asia, after China.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Spain
- World Heritage Sites:
- 50
- Category:
- 44 cultural · 4 natural · 2 mixed
Spain has 50 sites.
Spain is one of only five countries with 50 or more World Heritage Sites.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Germany
- World Heritage Sites:
- 55
- Category:
- 52 cultural · 3 natural
Germany has 55 sites, almost all of them cultural.
11 of Germany's sites are shared with other countries, more than any other country.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
France
- World Heritage Sites:
- 56
- Category:
- 47 cultural · 7 natural · 2 mixed
France has 56 sites after adding two properties in 2026: the Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944, and the Royal Capetian Fortresses of Languedoc.
France gained more sites in 2026 than any other country.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
China
- World Heritage Sites:
- 61
- Category:
- 42 cultural · 15 natural · 4 mixed
China has 61 sites, one fewer than Italy, after adding the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites in 2026.
China has the most natural World Heritage Sites of any country (15) and, with Australia, the most mixed sites (4).
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Italy
- World Heritage Sites:
- 62
- Category:
- 56 cultural · 6 natural
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country, 62, including the Italian-style condominio theatres of Central Italy, added in 2026.
Italy's 56 cultural sites are the most of any country.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
What the numbers tell us
UNESCO's List now has 1,273 properties in 173 countries. Three countries got their first-ever site in 2026: Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, and South Sudan. The five leaders, Italy, China, France, Germany and Spain, are the only countries with 50 or more.
- Data period:
- World Heritage List after the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee (Busan, Republic of Korea, July 19–29, 2026)
- Last updated:
- November 3, 2026
- Sources:
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, World Heritage List and "World Heritage List Statistics" (number of properties by State Party); UNESCO World Heritage Centre, decisions of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee (2026).
Countries are ranked by UNESCO's official number of World Heritage properties per State Party, after the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in July 2026. Countries with the same number of sites share a rank. A property shared by several countries (a transboundary property) is counted once for each country it belongs to, as UNESCO does; for example, the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of Europe count for each of their 18 countries. UNESCO's statistics page publishes only each country's total, so the cultural, natural and mixed breakdown for each country was calculated by Viszlyn from the official category of each property on UNESCO's World Heritage List; the breakdowns add up to UNESCO's published totals for every country. Sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger are included, as they remain on the World Heritage List.
Figures marked as estimates are based on publicly available information and may vary from other published sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Italy, with 62 sites as of UNESCO's July 2026 update. China is second with 61, followed by France (56), Germany (55) and Spain (50).