Mapped: Countries with the Most Embassies Around the World
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It’s easy to contextualize a country’s economic might (GDP) or military prowess (military budgets), but what about diplomatic influence?
The Global Diplomacy Index by the Lowy Institute is an attempt to measure and compare diplomatic networks worldwide to understand the foreign ties that influence geopolitics.
From their 2024 update, we visualize the top 25 countries with the most embassies worldwide. Data for this graphic is current up to November 2023, and does not reflect diplomatic consequences from the Israel-Hamas war.
Ranked: Countries by Worldwide Embassy Count
China leads with 173 embassies around the world, eclipsing the U.S. (168) by just five more foreign posts.
Former colonial powers, France (158) and the UK (156) rank third and fourth respectively. Japan (152) rounds out the top five.
| Rank | Country | Embassies Overseas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇳 China | 173 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 168 |
| 3 | 🇫🇷 France | 158 |
| 4 | 🇬🇧 UK | 156 |
| 5 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 152 |
| 6 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 148 |
| 7 | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 145 |
| 8 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 143 |
| 9 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 135 |
| 10 | 🇮🇳 India | 135 |
| 11 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 124 |
| 12 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 114 |
| 13 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 114 |
| 14 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 106 |
| 15 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 104 |
| 16 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 102 |
| 17 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 98 |
| 18 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 98 |
| 19 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 92 |
| 20 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 91 |
| 21 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 91 |
| 22 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 89 |
| 23 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 87 |
| 24 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 87 |
| 25 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 87 |
Note: As of November, 2023.
The index notes some key findings in the regional footprint of all these foreign posts as well.
For example, China has a larger diplomatic presence in Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific, while the U.S. leads in the Americas, Europe, and South Asia. This reflects the two superpowers’ trade and economic ties as well.
Meanwhile, Türkiye and India have grown their diplomatic networks the most in recent years. Interestingly, both countries prioritized Africa in their new outreach. In fact, India is a key export destination for many African countries.
Russia meanwhile had to close 14 foreign missions since it invaded Ukraine in 2022, slipping two ranking spots between 2017 and 2022.
