How many landlocked countries are there?

There are 44 fully landlocked sovereign countries, meaning they have no coastline on an ocean or open sea. This count excludes partially recognised states and is the figure most commonly cited by the United Nations.

What does doubly landlocked mean?

A doubly landlocked country is surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries, so you must cross at least two borders to reach the coast. Only two exist: Liechtenstein in Europe and Uzbekistan in Central Asia.

Is the Caspian Sea coast counted as sea access?

No. The Caspian is an enclosed inland body of water with no natural outlet to the ocean, so countries bordering only the Caspian, such as Kazakhstan, are still considered landlocked under the usual definition.

Which continent has the most landlocked countries?

Africa has the most, with 16 landlocked countries, followed by Europe and Asia. South America has two, Bolivia and Paraguay, while North America and Oceania have none among sovereign states.

Why does landlocked status matter?

Landlocked countries depend on neighbours and transit agreements for sea trade, which raises shipping costs and can constrain economic growth. The United Nations runs a specific programme for landlocked developing countries to address these challenges.

Landlocked Countries Reference

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Landlocked countries have no coastline, so all their sea trade must pass through neighbouring states. This reference lists all 44 landlocked sovereign nations, the continent each belongs to, the countries that border it, and which two are doubly landlocked.

How it works

A country is landlocked when none of its territory touches an ocean or open sea. The reference records, for each:

Continent — to group the nations geographically.
Borders — the neighbouring countries it relies on for transit to the coast.
Doubly landlocked — flagged when every neighbour is itself landlocked, so the nearest coast is at least two borders away.

The two doubly landlocked countries are Liechtenstein (surrounded by Austria and Switzerland) and Uzbekistan (surrounded by five landlocked states).

Tips and notes

The Caspian Sea does not count as sea access because it is an enclosed inland basin with no natural link to the ocean, so Caspian-only states remain landlocked. Africa holds the most landlocked countries at 16. Landlocked status has real economic weight: dependence on transit corridors raises trade costs, which is why the UN maintains a dedicated programme for landlocked developing countries.