The 56 Countries in the Commonwealth in 2024

The Commonwealth was first established in 1926 to create unity between former British colonies. Today, countries do not need to be former British colonies to join, but they all must agree to the Commonwealth’s values and promote peace, democracy, and development. Read on to discover the countries in the Commonwealth in 2024!

1. Antigua and Barbuda

Located in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda is a country that consists of two main islands and several smaller ones. It is a former British colony and joined the Commonwealth in 1981.

2. Australia

One of the largest countries in the world is Australia, which is known for its incredibly diverse ecosystems. Australia is one of the original members of the Commonwealth.

3. The Bahamas

Located in the West Indies, the Bahamas consists of around 700 islands, of which approximately 30 are inhabited. They were a British colony from 1718 until 1973.

4. Bangladesh

Located in South Asia, Bangladesh is one of the most populous countries in the world. It was a British colony until 1947 and joined the Commonwealth in 1972.

5. Barbados

Another island country in the Commonwealth is Barbados, which joined in 1966. The island is only 21 miles long and features many caves formed by limestone erosion.

6. Belize

With a coastline on the Caribbean Sea and a large portion of the country covered with thick forests, Belize is home to numerous species. It’s estimated that there are more than 5,000 different plants and animals in the country.

7. Botswana

Like Barbados, Botswana joined the Commonwealth in 1966. The country gained its independence at the same time, officially becoming the Republic of Botswana.

8. Brunei

Next is Brunei which is located in the northern region of Borneo. Brunei joined the Commonwealth in 1984.

9. Cameroon

Located in Central Africa, Cameroon gained independence in 1960. However, it did not join the Commonwealth until 1995.

10. Canada

The second-largest country in the world is Canada, spanning 3,855,100 square miles. It left the British colony in 1867 and joined the Commonwealth in 1926.

11. Cyprus

The next island country is Cyprus which became a member of the Commonwealth in March 1961. This was just seven months after it gained independence.

12. Dominica

Another island country in the Caribbean is Dominica. It was a British colony between 1763 and 1978.

13. Eswatini

Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini is a landlocked country in the southern region of Africa. Its name was changed to better reflect the country’s heritage.

14. Fiji

Located in the South Pacific, Fiji consists of around 330 islands, 110 of which are inhabited. Many of the islands are volcanic in origin.

15. Gabon

One of the most recent additions to the Commonwealth is Gabon, which joined in 2022. It is one of only four countries that were not formerly part of the British Empire.

16. The Gambia

Initially joining the Commonwealth in 1965 The Gambia then left in 2013. It rejoined in 2018.

17. Ghana

The West African country Ghana joined the Commonwealth in 1957. It left the British Empire at the same time.

18. Grenada

Another island country in the Caribbean is Grenada, which consists of a main island and several smaller ones. Grenada joined the Commonwealth in 1974.

19. Guyana

The next South American country in the Commonwealth is Guyana, which joined in 1970. Guyana left the British Empire in 1966.

20. India

One of the oldest members of the Commonwealth is India which joined in 1947. The British rule in India ended the same year.

21. Jamaica

Another Caribbean country is Jamaica, which is also the third-largest Caribbean island. Jamaica joined the Commonwealth in 1962 after more than 300 years as a British colony.

22. Kenya

Upon gaining its independence from Britain, Kenya joined the Commonwealth in 1963. Kenya is named after Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in the country.

23. Kiribati

The small island country Kiribati in Oceania, spans just 313 square miles. The country joined the Commonwealth in 1979.

24. Lesotho

The landlocked country of Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa. It became a British colony in 1884, leaving in 1966.

25. Malawi

Another landlocked country is Malawi, this time in southeastern Africa. Malawi joined the Commonwealth in 1964.

26. Malaysia

Joining in 1957 was Malaysia, which also gained independence at the same time. The country had been occupied by the British since 1826.

27. Maldives

One of the most unique countries is the Maldives, which consists of 26 atolls along a 541-mile strip. The Maldives initially joined the Commonwealth in 1982 before leaving in 2016. It rejoined in 2020.

28. Malta

Located in southern Europe is another island country, Malta. Malta was a British colony between 1814 and 1964, joining the Commonwealth when it gained independence.

29. Mauritius

Mauritius consists of a main island and several smaller ones in the Indian Ocean. The British rule within the country ended in 1968, allowing it to join the Commonwealth.

30. Mozambique

The next African country is Mozambique. Mozambique joined the Commonwealth in 1995, having never been under British rule.

31. Namibia

Another African country, this time located in southern Africa, is Namibia, which became a member of the Commonwealth in 1990. The country is known for being one of the driest in Africa.

32. Nauru

Spanning just 8.1 square miles, Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world. It has a population of a little over 12,500.

33. New Zealand

New Zealand was a British colony between 1841 and 1907. However, it did not join the Commonwealth until 1926.

34. Nigeria

The west African country of Nigeria was a British colony from the early 1900’s until 1960, when it gained independence. It joined the Commonwealth at the same time.

35. Pakistan

Along with India, Pakistan gained independence from the British rule in 1947 and joined the Commonwealth. However, Pakistan left in 1972 but rejoined 17 years later, in 1989.

36. Papua New Guinea

The British colonization of Papua New Guinea was relatively short, lasting 14 years, until 1902 when it fell under Australian rule. However, following its independence in 1972, it joined the Commonwealth in 1975.

37. Rwanda

The African country of Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009, having not been under British rule. At the time, it was only the second country to join without being a former British colony.

38. Saint Lucia

The next Caribbean island on the list is Saint Lucia. The country became fully independent in 1979, joining the Commonwealth at the same time.

39. Samoa

Another country in Oceania is Samoa. Samoa was under the joint rule of Britain and New Zealand until 1962, although it did not join the Commonwealth until 1970.

40. Singapore

The next Asian country is Singapore, which was a British colony until 1963 when it joined Malaysia. It gained its independence two years later.

41. Seychelles

The Seychelles consist of more than 100 islands in the Indian Ocean. The country was a British colony from 1814 until 1976 when it gained its independence.

42. Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone was a British colony between 1808 and 1961 when it gained its independence and joined the Commonwealth. It is located in West Africa and features a diverse range of ecosystems, including rainforests, montane forests, and mangroves.

43. Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands consist of a vast number of small islands, as well as six main ones. Many of the islands are volcanic in origin.

44. South Africa

One of the first members of the Commonwealth was South Africa, which joined in 1926. South Africa is considered to be one of the most diverse countries in the world and is home to a huge variety of plants and animals.

45. Sri Lanka

Also known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an Asian island country. It was under British rule from 1815 until 1948, when it subsequently joined the Commonwealth.

46. Saint Kitts and Nevis

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis were one of the first British settlements in the Caribbean. The country joined the Commonwealth in 1983.

47. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The island country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines consists of a main island and 32 smaller ones. It has a population of around 103,000. The country joined the Commonwealth in 1979.

48. Tanzania

Tanzania was a British colony from 1916 until 1961. It became an independent country in 1961 and joined the Commonwealth at the same time.

49. Togo

One of the newest countries admitted to the Commonwealth is Togo, which only joined in 2022. The country was a British colony from 1916 until 1957.

50. Tonga

Tonga consists of more than 170 islands, of which around 45 are inhabited. It was under British rule for 70 years before it gained its independence in 1970.

51. Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is a Caribbean island country. It was under British rule from 1802 until 1962.

52. Tuvalu

Tuvalu is another small island nation, spanning just 10 square miles. It consists of three islands and several smaller atolls.

53. Uganda

Uganda was part of the British Empire between 1894 and 1962. It gained its independence and joined the Commonwealth the same year.

54. United Kingdom

It may seem strange to see the United Kingdom on the list since the Commonwealth typically consists of nations that were former British colonies. However, it joined in 1931.

55. Vanuatu

The second-last country is Vanuatu, which joined the Commonwealth in 1980. Vanuatu is a small island country located on an archipelago in Oceania.

56. Zambia

The final country in the Commonwealth is Zambia, which joined in 1964. The British colonization of the country lasted from 1888 until 1964.

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