# List of members of the United Nations Security Council

Membership of the United Nations Security Council is held by the five permanent members and ten elected, non-permanent members.
Being elected requires a two-thirds majority vote from the United Nations General Assembly. Elected members hold their place on the council for a two-year term, with five seats contested in even years and five seats contested in odd years. An outgoing member cannot be immediately re-elected.
Elections usually begin in June for a term starting January 1. Because of the two-thirds majority requirement, it is possible for two evenly matched candidates to deadlock with approximately half the vote each, sometimes needing weeks of negotiations to resolve.
Non-permanent seats are distributed geographically, with a certain number of seats allocated to each of the five United Nations Regional Groups.

## Current membership
### Permanent members

| Country | Regional Group | Member since |
| China | Asia-Pacific Group | 25 October 1971, replaced the Republic of China |
| France | Western European and Others Group | 24 October 1945 |
| Russia | Eastern European Group | 26 December 1991, replaced the Soviet Union |
| United Kingdom | Western European and Others Group | 24 October 1945 |
| United States | Western European and Others Group | 24 October 1945 |

### Non-permanent members

| Country | Regional Group | Term began | Term ends |
| Algeria | African Group (Arab) | 2024 | 2025 |
| Denmark | Western European and Others Group (WEOG) | 2025 | 2026 |
| Greece | Western European and Others Group (WEOG) | 2025 | 2026 |
| Guyana | Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | 2024 | 2025 |
| Pakistan | Asia-Pacific Group | 2025 | 2026 |
| Panama | Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | 2025 | 2026 |
| South Korea | Asia-Pacific Group | 2024 | 2025 |
| Sierra Leone | African Group | 2024 | 2025 |
| Slovenia | Eastern European Group (EEG) | 2024 | 2025 |
| Somalia | African Group | 2025 | 2026 |

## Regional Groups

The ten non-permanent seats have the following distribution:
* African Group: 3 members
* Asia-Pacific Group: 2 members
* Eastern European Group: 1 member
* Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC): 2 members
* Western European and Others Group (WEOG): 2 members
In addition, one of the five African/Asian seats is an Arab country, alternating between the two groups. This rule was added in 1967 for it to be applied beginning with 1968.

### Electoral timetable

| Term beginning in years that are: | Odd | Even |
| African Group | one member | two members * |
| Asia-Pacific Group | one member | one member * |
| Eastern European Group | none | one member |
| Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | one member | one member |
| Western European and Others Group | two members | none |
* The representative of Arab nations alternates between these two spaces.
The odd/even distribution was effectively decided by the January 1946 and 1965 elections (the first ever election, and the first election after the expansion of seats). For each of the six and four members in the newly created seats, the UN General Assembly voted to grant either a 1-year or 2-year term.

## Previous Security Council composition

From 1946 to 1965, the Security Council had six non-permanent members. Due to a lack of African and Asian member states, the seats had the following distribution:
* Latin America: 2 members
* Commonwealth of Nations: 1 member
* Eastern Europe: 1 member
* Middle East: 1 member
* Western Europe: 1 member
As decolonization increased the number of Asian and African member states without a group, they began to contest other seats: Ivory Coast substituted a member of the Commonwealth in 1964–1965, the Eastern European seat regularly included Asian countries from 1956, Liberia took the place of a Western European country in 1961, and Mali successfully contested the Middle Eastern seat in December 1964 (the Security Council would be expanded before Mali's term began).
An amendment to the UN Charter ratified in 1965 increased the number of non-permanent seats to 10, and the Regional Groups were formalized. The amendment effectively created three African seats and one Asian seat (if treating the Commonwealth seat as a WEOG seat and the Middle Eastern seat as an Asian seat).

## Membership by year
### Permanent

| Year | Chinese seat | French seat | Soviet/Russian seat | British seat | American seat |
| 1945 | Republic of China | Prov. Gov. of France | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | United Kingdom | United States |
| 1946 | Republic of China | French Fourth Republic | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | United Kingdom | United States |
| 1949 | Republic of China (Taiwan) | French Fourth Republic | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | United Kingdom | United States |
| 1958 | Republic of China (Taiwan) | French Fifth Republic | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | United Kingdom | United States |
| 1971 | China | French Fifth Republic | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | United Kingdom | United States |
| 1991–present | China | French Fifth Republic | Russia | United Kingdom | United States |

### Non-permanent (1946–1965)

| Year | Latin American Seats | Latin American Seats | Commonwealth Seat | Eastern European & Asian Seat | Middle Eastern Seat | Western European Seat |
| 1946 | Brazil | Mexico | Australia | Poland | Egypt | Netherlands |
| 1947 | Brazil | Colombia | Australia | Poland | Syria | Belgium |
| 1948 | Argentina | Colombia | Canada | Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | Syria | Belgium |
| 1949 | Argentina | Cuba | Canada | Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | Egypt | Norway |
| 1950 | Ecuador | Cuba | India | Yugoslavia | Egypt | Norway |
| 1951 | Ecuador | Brazil | India | Yugoslavia | Turkey | Netherlands |
| 1952 | Chile | Brazil | Pakistan | Greece | Turkey | Netherlands |
| 1953 | Chile | Colombia | Pakistan | Greece | Lebanon | Denmark |
| 1954 | Brazil | Colombia | New Zealand | Turkey | Lebanon | Denmark |
| 1955 | Brazil | Peru | New Zealand | Turkey | Iran | Belgium |
| 1956 | Cuba | Peru | Australia | Yugoslavia | Iran | Belgium |
| 1957 | Cuba | Colombia | Australia | Philippines | Iraq | Sweden |
| 1958 | Panama | Colombia | Canada | Japan | Iraq | Sweden |
| 1959 | Panama | Argentina | Canada | Japan | Tunisia | Italy |
| 1960 | Ecuador | Argentina | Ceylon | Poland | Tunisia | Italy |
| 1961 | Ecuador | Chile | Ceylon | Turkey | United Arab Republic | Liberia |
| 1962 | Venezuela | Chile | Ghana | Romania | United Arab Republic | Ireland |
| 1963 | Venezuela | Brazil | Ghana | Philippines | Morocco | Norway |
| 1964 | Bolivia | Brazil | Ivory Coast | Czechoslovakia | Morocco | Norway |
| 1965 | Bolivia | Uruguay | Ivory Coast | Malaysia | Jordan | Netherlands |

### Non-permanent (1966–present)

The African Union uses an internal rotation system to distribute seats based on its subregions:
* 1 odd-year seat alternates between Eastern Africa and Southern Africa (only Eastern Africa prior to the creation of the Southern Africa subregion in 1979)
* 1 even-year seat is allocated to Western Africa
* 1 even-year seat alternates between Northern Africa (the Arab nation seat) and Central Africa (with one exception at the beginning in 1966)
Aside from the Asia-Pacific Group also allocating an Arab nation seat every four years (in even years not divisible by 4), other regional groups do not have their own subregional rotation systems. The Arab nation seat is starred below.
The Western European and Others Group in part contains three caucusing subgroups (Benelux, the Nordic countries, and CANZ), whose candidates informally coordinate with each other. While this has not resulted in a stable rotation system, it effectively guarantees that both seats will never be occupied by a single subgroup at the same time.
| Year | African Group | African Group | African Group | Asia-Pacific Group | Asia-Pacific Group | Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | Western European and Others Group | Western European and Others Group | Eastern European Group |
| Year | Eastern/Southern | Western | Northern/Central | Asia-Pacific Group | Asia-Pacific Group | Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) | Western European and Others Group | Western European and Others Group | Eastern European Group |
| 1966 | Uganda | Mali | Nigeria | Japan | Jordan* | Argentina | Uruguay | Netherlands | New Zealand | Bulgaria |
| 1967 | Ethiopia | Mali | Nigeria | Japan | India | Argentina | Brazil | Canada | Denmark | Bulgaria |
| 1968 | Ethiopia | Senegal | Algeria* | Pakistan | India | Paraguay | Brazil | Canada | Denmark | Hungary |
| 1969 | Zambia | Senegal | Algeria* | Pakistan | Nepal | Paraguay | Colombia | Finland | Spain | Hungary |
| 1970 | Zambia | Sierra Leone | Burundi | Syria* | Nepal | Nicaragua | Colombia | Finland | Spain | Poland |
| 1971 | Somalia | Sierra Leone | Burundi | Syria* | Japan | Nicaragua | Argentina | Belgium | Italy | Poland |
| 1972 | Somalia | Guinea | Sudan* | India | Japan | Panama | Argentina | Belgium | Italy | Yugoslavia |
| 1973 | Kenya | Guinea | Sudan* | India | Indonesia | Panama | Peru | Australia | Austria | Yugoslavia |
| 1974 | Kenya | Mauritania | Cameroon | Iraq* | Indonesia | Costa Rica | Peru | Australia | Austria | Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| 1975 | Tanzania | Mauritania | Cameroon | Iraq* | Japan | Costa Rica | Guyana | Italy | Sweden | Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| 1976 | Tanzania | Benin | Libya* | Pakistan | Japan | Panama | Guyana | Italy | Sweden | Romania |
| 1977 | Mauritius | Benin | Libya* | Pakistan | India | Panama | Venezuela | Canada | West Germany | Romania |
| 1978 | Mauritius | Nigeria | Gabon | Kuwait* | India | Bolivia | Venezuela | Canada | West Germany | Czechoslovakia |
| 1979 | Zambia | Nigeria | Gabon | Kuwait* | Bangladesh | Bolivia | Jamaica | Norway | Portugal | Czechoslovakia |
| 1980 | Zambia | Niger | Tunisia* | Philippines | Bangladesh | Mexico | Jamaica | Norway | Portugal | East Germany |
| 1981 | Uganda | Niger | Tunisia* | Philippines | Japan | Mexico | Panama | Ireland | Spain | East Germany |
| 1982 | Uganda | Togo | Zaire | Jordan* | Japan | Guyana | Panama | Ireland | Spain | Poland |
| 1983 | Zimbabwe | Togo | Zaire | Jordan* | Pakistan | Guyana | Nicaragua | Malta | Netherlands | Poland |
| 1984 | Zimbabwe | Burkina Faso | Egypt* | India | Pakistan | Peru | Nicaragua | Malta | Netherlands | Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| 1985 | Madagascar | Burkina Faso | Egypt* | India | Thailand | Peru | Trinidad and Tobago | Australia | Denmark | Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| 1986 | Madagascar | Ghana | Congo | United Arab Emirates* | Thailand | Venezuela | Trinidad and Tobago | Australia | Denmark | Bulgaria |
| 1987 | Zambia | Ghana | Congo | United Arab Emirates* | Japan | Venezuela | Argentina | West Germany | Italy | Bulgaria |
| 1988 | Zambia | Senegal | Algeria* | Nepal | Japan | Brazil | Argentina | West Germany | Italy | Yugoslavia |
| 1989 | Ethiopia | Senegal | Algeria* | Nepal | Malaysia | Brazil | Colombia | Canada | Finland | Yugoslavia |
| 1990 | Ethiopia | Ivory Coast | Zaire | Yemen* | Malaysia | Cuba | Colombia | Canada | Finland | Romania |
| 1991 | Zimbabwe | Ivory Coast | Zaire | Yemen* | India | Cuba | Ecuador | Austria | Belgium | Romania |
| 1992 | Zimbabwe | Cape Verde | Morocco* | Japan | India | Venezuela | Ecuador | Austria | Belgium | Hungary |
| 1993 | Djibouti | Cape Verde | Morocco* | Japan | Pakistan | Venezuela | Brazil | New Zealand | Spain | Hungary |
| 1994 | Djibouti | Nigeria | Rwanda | Oman* | Pakistan | Argentina | Brazil | New Zealand | Spain | Czech Republic |
| 1995 | Botswana | Nigeria | Rwanda | Oman* | Indonesia | Argentina | Honduras | Germany | Italy | Czech Republic |
| 1996 | Botswana | Guinea-Bissau | Egypt* | South Korea | Indonesia | Chile | Honduras | Germany | Italy | Poland |
| 1997 | Kenya | Guinea-Bissau | Egypt* | South Korea | Japan | Chile | Costa Rica | Portugal | Sweden | Poland |
| 1998 | Kenya | The Gambia | Gabon | Bahrain* | Japan | Brazil | Costa Rica | Portugal | Sweden | Slovenia |
| 1999 | Namibia | The Gambia | Gabon | Bahrain* | Malaysia | Brazil | Argentina | Canada | Netherlands | Slovenia |
| 2000 | Namibia | Mali | Tunisia* | Bangladesh | Malaysia | Jamaica | Argentina | Canada | Netherlands | Ukraine |
| 2001 | Mauritius | Mali | Tunisia* | Bangladesh | Singapore | Jamaica | Colombia | Ireland | Norway | Ukraine |
| 2002 | Mauritius | Guinea | Cameroon | Syria* | Singapore | Mexico | Colombia | Ireland | Norway | Bulgaria |
| 2003 | Angola | Guinea | Cameroon | Syria* | Pakistan | Mexico | Chile | Germany | Spain | Bulgaria |
| 2004 | Angola | Benin | Algeria* | Philippines | Pakistan | Brazil | Chile | Germany | Spain | Romania |
| 2005 | Tanzania | Benin | Algeria* | Philippines | Japan | Brazil | Argentina | Denmark | Greece | Romania |
| 2006 | Tanzania | Ghana | Congo | Qatar* | Japan | Peru | Argentina | Denmark | Greece | Slovakia |
| 2007 | South Africa | Ghana | Congo | Qatar* | Indonesia | Peru | Panama | Belgium | Italy | Slovakia |
| 2008 | South Africa | Burkina Faso | Libya* | Vietnam | Indonesia | Costa Rica | Panama | Belgium | Italy | Croatia |
| 2009 | Uganda | Burkina Faso | Libya* | Vietnam | Japan | Costa Rica | Mexico | Austria | Turkey | Croatia |
| 2010 | Uganda | Nigeria | Gabon | Lebanon* | Japan | Brazil | Mexico | Austria | Turkey | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 2011 | South Africa | Nigeria | Gabon | Lebanon* | India | Brazil | Colombia | Germany | Portugal | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 2012 | South Africa | Togo | Morocco* | Pakistan | India | Guatemala | Colombia | Germany | Portugal | Azerbaijan |
| 2013 | Rwanda | Togo | Morocco* | Pakistan | South Korea | Guatemala | Argentina | Australia | Luxembourg | Azerbaijan |
| 2014 | Rwanda | Nigeria | Chad | Jordan* | South Korea | Chile | Argentina | Australia | Luxembourg | Lithuania |
| 2015 | Angola | Nigeria | Chad | Jordan* | Malaysia | Chile | Venezuela | New Zealand | Spain | Lithuania |
| 2016 | Angola | Senegal | Egypt* | Japan | Malaysia | Uruguay | Venezuela | New Zealand | Spain | Ukraine |
| 2017 | Ethiopia | Senegal | Egypt* | Japan | Kazakhstan | Uruguay | Bolivia | Italy | Sweden | Ukraine |
| 2018 | Ethiopia | Ivory Coast | Equatorial Guinea | Kuwait* | Kazakhstan | Peru | Bolivia | Netherlands | Sweden | Poland |
| 2019 | South Africa | Ivory Coast | Equatorial Guinea | Kuwait* | Indonesia | Peru | Dominican Republic | Belgium | Germany | Poland |
| 2020 | South Africa | Niger | Tunisia* | Vietnam | Indonesia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Dominican Republic | Belgium | Germany | Estonia |
| 2021 | Kenya | Niger | Tunisia* | Vietnam | India | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Mexico | Ireland | Norway | Estonia |
| 2022 | Kenya | Ghana | Gabon | United Arab Emirates* | India | Brazil | Mexico | Ireland | Norway | Albania |
| 2023 | Mozambique | Ghana | Gabon | United Arab Emirates* | Japan | Brazil | Ecuador | Malta | Switzerland | Albania |
| 2024 | Mozambique | Sierra Leone | Algeria* | South Korea | Japan | Guyana | Ecuador | Malta | Switzerland | Slovenia |
| 2025 | Somalia | Sierra Leone | Algeria* | South Korea | Pakistan | Guyana | Panama | Denmark | Greece | Slovenia |

## List by number of years as Security Council member

This list contains the 138 United Nations member states so far elected to the United Nations Security Council, including the five permanent members, all listed by number of years each country has so far spent on the UNSC. Of all the members, 6 have so far ceased to exist, leaving the list with 132 modern nations. These, combined with the 61 modern nations that have never been elected to the UNSC to date (see Non-members, below), make up the 193 current members of the UN.
Years on the Security Council, as of 2025, including current year where relevant :
| Years | Country | First Year | Most Recent Year | Regional Group | Notes |
| 80 | France | 1945 | 2025 | WEOG | Permanent member |
| 80 | United Kingdom | 1945 | 2025 | WEOG | Permanent member |
| 80 | United States | 1945 | 2025 | WEOG | Permanent member |
| 54 | China | 1971 | 2025 | Asia-Pacific | Permanent member |
| 46 | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 1945 | 1991 | E. European | Former permanent member, replaced by the Russian Federation |
| 34 | Russia | 1991 | 2025 | E. European | Permanent member |
| 26 | Republic of China | 1945 | 1971 | Asian | Former permanent member, replaced by the People's Republic of China |
| 24 | Japan | 1958 | 2024 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 22 | Brazil | 1946 | 2023 | GRULAC | |
| 18 | Argentina | 1948 | 2014 | GRULAC | |
| 16 | India | 1950 | 2022 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 15 | Pakistan | 1952 | 2025 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 14 | Colombia | 1947 | 2012 | GRULAC | |
| 13 | Italy | 1959 | 2017 | WEOG | |
| 12 | Belgium | 1947 | 2020 | WEOG | |
| 12 | Canada | 1948 | 2000 | WEOG | |
| 12 | Germany | 1977 | 2020 | WEOG | Includes 4 years when the Federal Republic of Germany consisted only of West Germany (but does not include East Germany's 2 years, listed separately below). |
| 11 | Panama | 1958 | 2025 | GRULAC | |
| 11 | Poland | 1946 | 2019 | E. European | |
| 10 | Australia | 1946 | 2014 | WEOG | |
| 10 | Chile | 1952 | 2015 | GRULAC | |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1946 | 2018 | WEOG | |
| 10 | Nigeria | 1966 | 2015 | African | |
| 10 | Norway | 1949 | 2022 | WEOG | |
| 10 | Peru | 1955 | 2019 | GRULAC | |
| 10 | Spain | 1969 | 2016 | WEOG | |
| 10 | Venezuela | 1962 | 2016 | GRULAC | |
| 9 | Denmark | 1953 | 2025 | WEOG | |
| 9 | Egypt | 1946 | 2017 | African (Arab) | Excludes 2 years with the seat held in the name of the United Arab Republic, of which for more than 15 months UAR served as the name of modern-day Egypt |
| 9 | Mexico | 1946 | 2022 | GRULAC | |
| 8 | Algeria | 1968 | 2025 | African (Arab) | |
| 8 | Ecuador | 1950 | 2024 | GRULAC | |
| 8 | Gabon | 1978 | 2023 | African | |
| 8 | Ghana | 1962 | 2023 | African | |
| 8 | Indonesia | 1973 | 2020 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 8 | Sweden | 1957 | 2018 | WEOG | |
| 8 | Ukraine | 1948 | 2017 | E. European | Includes 4 years of membership under the name of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic; the Ukrainian SSR held its own seat in the General Assembly while being part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership |
| 8 | Tunisia | 1959 | 2021 | African (Arab) | |
| 7 | Ireland | 1962 | 2022 | WEOG | |
| 7 | Malaysia | 1965 | 2016 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 7 | New Zealand | 1954 | 2016 | WEOG | |
| 7 | Romania | 1962 | 2005 | E. European | |
| 7 | Turkey | 1951 | 2010 | WEOG | |
| 7 | Yugoslavia | 1950 | 1989 | E. European | Predecessor of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia |
| 6 | Austria | 1973 | 2010 | WEOG | |
| 6 | Bulgaria | 1966 | 2003 | E. European | |
| 6 | Costa Rica | 1974 | 2009 | GRULAC | |
| 6 | Ivory Coast | 1964 | 2019 | African | |
| 6 | Cuba | 1949 | 1991 | GRULAC | |
| 6 | Ethiopia | 1967 | 2018 | African | |
| 6 | Guyana | 1975 | 2025 | GRULAC | |
| 6 | Jordan | 1965 | 2015 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 6 | Kenya | 1973 | 2022 | African | |
| 6 | South Korea | 1996 | 2025 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 6 | Morocco | 1963 | 2013 | African (Arab) | |
| 6 | Philippines | 1957 | 2005 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 6 | Portugal | 1979 | 2012 | WEOG | |
| 6 | Bolivia | 1964 | 2018 | GRULAC | |
| 6 | Senegal | 1968 | 2017 | African | |
| 6 | South Africa | 2007 | 2020 | African | |
| 6 | Syria | 1947 | 2003 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | Excludes one year (1961) during which the United Arab Republic was a member, for the greater part of which Syria was a member of that union |
| 6 | Zambia | 1969 | 1988 | African | |
| 5 | Greece | 1952 | 2025 | WEOG | |
| 5 | Uganda | 1966 | 2010 | African | |
| 4 | Angola | 2003 | 2016 | African | |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 1979 | 2001 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 4 | Benin | 1976 | 2005 | African | |
| 4 | Burkina Faso | 1984 | 2009 | African | For the first 7 months of membership of the Security Council in 1984 was known as Upper Volta. |
| 4 | Cameroon | 1974 | 2003 | African | |
| 4 | Congo | 1986 | 2007 | African | |
| 4 | Finland | 1969 | 1990 | WEOG | |
| 4 | Guinea | 1972 | 2003 | African | |
| 4 | Hungary | 1968 | 1993 | E. European | |
| 4 | Iraq | 1957 | 1975 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 4 | Jamaica | 1979 | 2001 | GRULAC | |
| 4 | Kuwait | 1978 | 2019 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 4 | Lebanon | 1953 | 2011 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 4 | Libya | 1976 | 2009 | African (Arab) | |
| 4 | Mali | 1966 | 2001 | African | |
| 4 | Malta | 1983 | 2024 | WEOG | |
| 4 | Mauritius | 1977 | 2002 | African | |
| 4 | Nepal | 1969 | 1989 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 4 | Nicaragua | 1970 | 1984 | GRULAC | |
| 4 | Niger | 1980 | 2021 | African | |
| 4 | Rwanda | 1994 | 2014 | African | |
| 4 | Sierra Leone | 1970 | 2025 | African | |
| 4 | Slovenia | 1998 | 2025 | E. European | Was part of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership |
| 4 | Tanzania | 1975 | 2006 | African | |
| 4 | Togo | 1982 | 2013 | African | |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | 1986 | 2023 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 4 | Uruguay | 1965 | 2017 | GRULAC | |
| 4 | Vietnam | 2008 | 2021 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 4 | Zaire | 1982 | 1991 | African | Now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 1983 | 1992 | African | |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia | 1964 | 1979 | E. European | Predecessor of the Czech Republic and Slovakia |
| 3 | Somalia | 1971 | 2025 | African | |
| 2 | Albania | 2022 | 2023 | E. European | |
| 2 | Azerbaijan | 2012 | 2013 | E. European | Was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Bahrain | 1998 | 1999 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2010 | 2011 | E. European | Was part of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Botswana | 1995 | 1996 | African | |
| 2 | Burundi | 1970 | 1971 | African | |
| 2 | Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic | 1974 | 1975 | E. European | Now known as Belarus; the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic held its own seat in the General Assembly while being part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Cape Verde | 1992 | 1993 | African | |
| 2 | Ceylon | 1960 | 1961 | Asia-Pacific | Now known as Sri Lanka |
| 2 | Chad | 2014 | 2015 | African | |
| 2 | Croatia | 2008 | 2009 | E. European | Was part of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 1994 | 1995 | E. European | Was part of Czechoslovakia during its 3 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Djibouti | 1993 | 1994 | African | |
| 2 | Dominican Republic | 2019 | 2020 | GRULAC | |
| 2 | East Germany | 1980 | 1981 | E. European | Now subsumed into Germany, which has 8 years of Security Council membership since it has included the former territory of East Germany |
| 2 | Estonia | 2020 | 2021 | E. European | Was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Equatorial Guinea | 2018 | 2019 | African | |
| 2 | Gambia | 1998 | 1999 | African | |
| 2 | Guatemala | 2012 | 2013 | GRULAC | |
| 2 | Guinea-Bissau | 1996 | 1997 | African | |
| 2 | Honduras | 1995 | 1996 | GRULAC | |
| 2 | Iran | 1955 | 1956 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 2 | Kazakhstan | 2017 | 2018 | Asia-Pacific | Was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Lithuania | 2014 | 2015 | E. European | Was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Luxembourg | 2013 | 2014 | WEOG | |
| 2 | Madagascar | 1985 | 1986 | African | |
| 2 | Mauritania | 1974 | 1975 | African | |
| 2 | Mozambique | 2023 | 2024 | African | |
| 2 | Namibia | 1999 | 2000 | African | |
| 2 | Oman | 1994 | 1995 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 2 | Paraguay | 1968 | 1969 | GRULAC | |
| 2 | Qatar | 2006 | 2007 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | |
| 2 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2020 | 2021 | GRULAC | Smallest nation to have held a place on the Security Council |
| 2 | Singapore | 2001 | 2002 | Asia-Pacific | Was part of Malaysia for 8 months in 1965 during its membership of the Security Council |
| 2 | Slovakia | 2006 | 2007 | E. European | Was part of Czechoslovakia during its 3 years of Security Council membership |
| 2 | Sudan | 1972 | 1973 | African (Arab) | |
| 2 | Switzerland | 2023 | 2024 | WEOG | |
| 2 | Thailand | 1985 | 1986 | Asia-Pacific | |
| 2 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1985 | 1986 | GRULAC | |
| 2 | United Arab Republic | 1961 | 1962 | Middle East | Union of Syria and Egypt |
| 1 | Democratic Yemen | 1990 | 1990 | Asian (Arab) | Held the Security Council seat for the first five months of membership, then unified with Yemen (i.e., North Yemen) and passed the seat to Yemen. |
| 1 | Liberia | 1961 | 1961 | African | Served only one year. |
| 1 | Yemen | 1990 | 1991 | Asia-Pacific (Arab) | Inherited the seat from Democratic Yemen; served the remaining of the term, for one year and seven months. |

## Future membership

| Year | Africa | Asia-Pacific | Eastern Europe | Latin America & Caribbean | Western Europe & Others |
| The following countries have made known their applications for future United Nations Security Council membership: ||||||
| 2026–27 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Liberia | Bahrain | Latvia | Colombia | – |
| 2027–28 | Zimbabwe | Kyrgyzstan Philippines | – | ? | Austria Germany Portugal |
| 2028–29 | Libya Morocco Nigeria | India Tajikistan | Slovakia | ? | – |
| 2029–30 | ? | Iran Uzbekistan Indonesia | – | ? | Australia Finland |
| 2030–31 | ? | ? | Croatia | ? | – |
| 2031–32 | ? | ? | – | Guatemala | ? |
| 2032–33 | Mauritania | ? | Armenia | ? | – |
| 2037–38 | ? | ? | – | ? | Belgium |

## UN members that have never been Security Council members

This is a list of the 61 member nations that have never been members of the Security Council. The three former UN members that were not elected to the Security Council during their membership are Tanganyika, Zanzibar, and Serbia and Montenegro.
| UN Member state | Regional Group | Security Council membership as part of another entity |
| Afghanistan | Asia-Pacific | |
| Andorra | WEOG | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | GRULAC | Was a crown colony, then an associated state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 36 years of Security Council membership until 1 November 1981 |
| Armenia | E. European | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 45 years of Security Council membership until 23 September 1991 |
| Bahamas | GRULAC | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 27 years of Security Council membership until 10 July 1973 |
| Barbados | GRULAC | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 21 years of Security Council membership until 30 November 1966 |
| Belize | GRULAC | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 35 years of Security Council membership until 21 September 1981 |
| Bhutan | Asia-Pacific | Was a protected state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 1 year of Security Council membership until 1947 |
| Brunei | Asia-Pacific | Was a protectorate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 38 years of Security Council membership until 1 January 1984 |
| Cambodia | Asia-Pacific | Was a protectorate of France during its 8 years of Security Council membership until 9 November 1953 |
| Central African Republic | African | Was a colony of France during its 14 years of Security Council membership until 13 August 1960 |
| Comoros | African | Was an overseas territory of France during its 29 years of Security Council membership until 6 July 1975 |
| Cyprus | Asia-Pacific | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 14 years of Security Council membership until 16 August 1960 |
| Dominica | GRULAC | Was a crown colony, then an associated state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 33 years of Security Council membership until 3 November 1978 |
| East Timor | Asia-Pacific | Was a province of Indonesia (de facto) during its 2 years of Security Council membership and an overseas province of Portugal (de jure) during its 4 years of Security Council membership until 25 October 1999 |
| El Salvador | GRULAC | |
| Eritrea | African | Was under military administration of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland until 15 September 1952, then an autonomous region and then a province of Ethiopia during its 10 years of Security Council membership until 24 May 1993 |
| Eswatini | African | Was a protectorate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 22 years of Security Council membership until 6 September 1968 |
| Fiji | Asia-Pacific | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 24 years of Security Council membership until 10 October 1970 |
| Georgia | E. European | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 45 years of Security Council membership until 9 April 1991 |
| Grenada | GRULAC | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 28 years of Security Council membership until 7 February 1974 |
| Haiti | GRULAC | |
| Iceland | WEOG | |
| Israel | None / WEOG | Part of a League of Nations mandate under administration of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 2 years of Security Council membership until 14 May 1948 |
| Kiribati | None / Asia-Pacific | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 33 years of Security Council membership until 12 July 1979 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Asia-Pacific | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership until 31 August 1991 |
| Laos | Asia-Pacific | Was a protectorate of France during its 7 years of Security Council membership until 22 October 1953 |
| Latvia | E. European | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 44 years of Security Council membership until 4 May 1990 |
| Lesotho | African | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 20 years of Security Council until 4 October 1966 |
| Liechtenstein | WEOG | |
| Malawi | African | Was a protectorate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 18 years of Security Council membership until 6 July 1964 |
| Maldives | Asia-Pacific | Was a protected state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 19 years of Security Council membership until 26 July 1965 |
| Marshall Islands | Asia-Pacific | Was a district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the administration of the United States of America during its 40 years of Security Council membership until 21 October 1986 |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Asia-Pacific | Was a district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the administration of the United States of America during its 41 years of Security Council membership until 3 November 1986 |
| Moldova | E. European | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 45 years of Security Council membership until 27 August 1991 |
| Monaco | WEOG | |
| Mongolia | Asia-Pacific | |
| Montenegro | E. European | Was a republic of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership until 27 April 1992 |
| Myanmar | Asia-Pacific | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 2 years of Security Council membership until 4 January 1948 |
| Nauru | Asia-Pacific | Was a United Nations trust territory administered by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 22 years of Security Council membership, Australia during its 4 years of Security Council membership, and New Zealand during its 3 years of Security Council membership until 31 January 1968 |
| North Korea | Asia-Pacific | Was under military occupation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 2 years of Security Council membership until 9 September 1948 |
| North Macedonia | E. European | Was a republic of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership until 8 September 1991 |
| Palau | Asia-Pacific | Was a district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the administration of the United States of America during its 48 years of Security Council membership until 1 October 1994 |
| Papua New Guinea | Asia-Pacific | Was an external territory of Australia in the case of the Territory of Papua and a League of Nations mandate (later a United Nations trust territory during its union with Papua) in the case of the Territory of New Guinea during its 2 years of Security Council membership until 1 July 1949, then the unified Territory of Papua and New Guinea in Australia during its 4 years of Security Council membership until 16 September 1975 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | GRULAC | Was a crown colony, then an associated state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 37 years of Security Council membership until 19 September 1983 |
| Saint Lucia | GRULAC | Was a crown colony, then an associated state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 33 years of Security Council membership until 22 February 1979 |
| Samoa | Asia-Pacific | Was a League of Nations mandate, then a United Nations trust territory, under the administration of New Zealand during its 2 years of Security Council membership until 1 January 1962 |
| San Marino | WEOG | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | African | |
| Saudi Arabia | Asia-Pacific | Saudi Arabia was elected in the 2013 election, but declined the seat. |
| Serbia | E. European | Was a republic of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership until 27 April 1992 |
| Seychelles | African | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 30 years of Security Council membership until 29 July 1976 |
| Solomon Islands | Asia-Pacific | Was a protectorate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 32 years of Security Council membership until 7 July 1978 |
| South Sudan | African | Was a condominium of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Egypt during its 10 years and 3 years of Security Council membership until 1 January 1956, then part of Sudan during its 2 years of Security Council membership until 9 July 2011 |
| Suriname | GRULAC | Was a colony, then a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands during its 5 years of Security Council membership until 25 November 1975 |
| Tajikistan | Asia-Pacific | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 45 years of Security Council membership until 9 September 1991 |
| Tonga | Asia-Pacific | Was a protected state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 24 years of Security Council membership until 4 June 1970 |
| Turkmenistan | Asia-Pacific | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 46 years of Security Council membership until 27 October 1991 |
| Tuvalu | Asia-Pacific | Was a crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 32 years of Security Council membership until 1 October 1978 |
| Uzbekistan | Asia-Pacific | Was a union republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during its 45 years of Security Council membership until 31 August 1991 |
| Vanuatu | Asia-Pacific | Was a condominium under joint sovereignty of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and France during its 34 years of Security Council membership until 30 July 1980 |

### Former UN members that were never UNSC members

| Former UN Member state | UN membership | Security Council membership as part of another entity |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 1992 to 2006 | Was part of Yugoslavia during its 7 years of Security Council membership until 27 April 1992 |
| Tanganyika | 1961 to 1964 | Was a League of Nations mandate under the administration of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 1 year of Security Council membership until 11 December 1946, then a United Nations trust territory under the administration of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland until 9 December 1961, then independent until federation with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania on 26 April 1964 |
| Zanzibar | 1963 to 1964 | Was a protectorate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during its 18 years of Security Council membership until 10 December 1963, then independent until federation with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania on 26 April 1964 |