Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations is a group of 54 countries, most of which used to be apart of the British Empire. It is an international organisation that has King Charles III as its head.

## Current member states

All dates below are provided by the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat members list, and population figures are as of 1 February 2020.

|width = 150px|Country|width = 125px|First Joined|width = 90px|Region|width = 80px|Population|System of government|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
||<span style="display:none">1981-11-01</span>1 November 1981|West Indies|align="right"|94,195|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>19 November 1926|data-sort-value="Australia"|Continent of Australia (Australasia)|align="right"|25,215,000|Federal Commonwealth realm|Australia was one of the original Dominions at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster 1931, evenvthough the statute was not done in Australia until 1942. The _Australia Act 1986_ ended any chance of the UK to be involved in Australian government.|||
||<span style="display:none">1973-07-10</span>10 July 1973|West Indies|align="right"|402,576|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1972-04-18</span>18 April 1972|South Asia|align="right"|165,867,307|Unitary Westminster republic|Became independent from Pakistan in 1971.||||
||<span style="display:none">1966-11-30</span>30 November 1966|West Indies|align="right"|286,618|Unitary Commonwealth realm|Barbados is planning to get rid of Elizabeth II as its head of state and become a republic by 30 November 2021.||||
||<span style="display:none">1981-09-21</span>21 September 1981|Central America|align="right"|379,636|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1966-09-30</span>30 September 1966|Southern Africa|align="right"|2,377,831|Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency|||||
||<span style="display:none">1984-01-01</span>1 January 1984|Southeast Asia|align="right"|439,022|Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy|||||
||<span style="display:none">1995-11-13</span>13 November 1995|Central Africa|align="right"|24,836,674|Unitary semi-presidential republic|Most of the country was a French mandate territory (later UN trust territory) of Cameroun, which got independence from France on 1 January 1960. It united with the much smaller British mandate/trust territory of Southern Cameroons, which got independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1961.||||
||<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>19 November 1926|Northern America|align="right"|37,653,350|Federal Commonwealth realm|Canada was the first of the original Dominions at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster 1931. It took another original Dominion, Newfoundland, on 31 March 1949. The _Canada Act 1982_ ended the "request and consent" provisions of the Statute of Westminster 1931 in relation to Canada, where the British parliament could make laws that affected Canada.||||
||<span style="display:none">1961-03-13</span>13 March 1961|Eurasia|align="right"|1,197,667|Unitary presidential republic|Got independence from the United Kingdom on 16 August 1960.||||
||<span style="display:none">1978-11-03</span>3 November 1978|West Indies|align="right"|72,975|Unitary Westminster republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1968-09-06</span>6 September 1968|Southern Africa|align="right"|1,336,933|Unitary absolute monarchy|Joined as Swaziland, changed its name to Eswatini on 19 April 2018.||||
||<span style="display:none">1970-10-10</span>10 October 1970|Oceania (Melanesia)|align="right"|909,024|Unitary Westminster republic|Left in 1987; rejoined in 1997; suspended on 6 June 2000; suspension lifted on 20 December 2001; again suspended on 8 December 2006 because of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. Suspension lifted on 26 September 2014.||||
||<span style="display:none">1965-02-18</span>18 February 1965|West Africa|align="right"|2,155,958|Unitary presidential republic|Left on 3 October 2013 saying that it was "neocolonialism". After the election of Adama Barrow as President of Gambia in 2016, it asked to join the Commonwealth again on 22 January 2018, and was allowed to join again on 8 February 2018.||||
||<span style="display:none">1957-03-06</span>6 March 1957|West Africa|align="right"|29,088,849|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1974-02-07</span>7 February 1974|West Indies|align="right"|107,894|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1966-05-26</span>26 May 1966|South America|align="right"|773,808|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1947-08-15</span>15 August 1947|South Asia|align="right"|1,353,014,094|Federal democratic Republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1962-08-06</span>6 August 1962|West Indies|align="right"|2,819,888|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1963-12-12</span>12 December 1963|East Africa|align="right"|49,167,382|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1979-07-12</span>12 July 1979|Oceania (Micronesia)|align="right"|117,636|Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency|||||
||<span style="display:none">1966-10-04</span>4 October 1966|Southern Africa|align="right"|2,199,492|Unitary Westminster monarchy|||||
||<span style="display:none">1964-07-06</span>6 July 1964|East Africa|align="right"|18,558,768|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1957-08-31</span>31 August 1957|Southeast Asia|align="right"|31,505,208|Federal Westminster monarchy|Joined as the Federation of Malaya in 1957; became as Malaysia on 16 September 1963 when it joined with Singapore (which became a separate country on 9 August 1965), North Borneo, and Sarawak.||||
||<span style="display:none">1982-07-09</span>9 July 1982|South Asia|align="right"|515,696|Unitary presidential republic|Got independence from the United Kingdom on 26 July 1965. A special member from 9 July 1982 until 20 July 1985. Left on 13 October 2016. Joined again on 1 February 2020.||||
||<span style="display:none">1964-09-21</span>21 September 1964|Southern Europe|align="right"|422,212|Unitary Westminster republic|Got independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1964.||||
||<span style="display:none">1968-03-12</span>12 March 1968|East Africa|align="right"|1,286,240|Unitary Westminster republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1995-11-13</span>13 November 1995|East Africa|align="right"|29,977,238|Unitary semi-presidential republic|Got independence from Portugal on 25 June 1975. The first country to join the Commonwealth that wasn't once ruled by the United Kingdom.||||
||<span style="display:none">1990-03-21</span>21 March 1990|Southern Africa|align="right"|2,600,857|Unitary semi-presidential republic|Got independence from South Africa. Includes Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands given by South Africa at midnight 28 February 1994.||||
||<span style="display:none">1968-11-01†</span>1 November 1968|Oceania (Micronesia)|align="right"|10,387|Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency|Got independence on 31 January 1968 from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A special member from 1 November 1968 until 1 May 1999, when it became a full member, before going back to special status in January 2006. A full member again since June 2011.||||
||<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>19 November 1926|Oceania (Polynesia)|align="right"|4,609,755|Unitary Commonwealth realm|Given Dominion status on 26 September 1907. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster 1931, even though the Statute was not adopted in New Zealand until 1947. Got rid of final links with the British Parliament in 1986. Got rid of the final link with the British legal system (Judicial Committee of the Privy Council) in 2003.||||
||<span style="display:none">1960-10-01</span>1 October 1960|West Africa|align="right"|194,615,054|Federal presidential republic|Incorporated the former British mandate/trust territory of Northern Cameroons on 31 May 1961. Suspended in 1995, suspension lifted in 1999.||||
||<span style="display:none">1947-08-14</span>14 August 1947|South Asia|align="right"|224,019,136|Federal Westminster republic|Includes the city of Gwadar, transferred from Muscat and Oman on 8 September 1958. Included Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) until 1971. Left Commonwealth in 1972, rejoined 1989; suspended in 1999, suspension lifted in 2004; again suspended in 2007, suspension lifted in 2008.||||
||<span style="display:none">1975-09-16</span>16 September 1975|Oceania (Melanesia)|align="right"|8,034,630|Unitary Commonwealth realm|Gained independence from Australia.||||
||<span style="display:none">2009-11-29</span>29 November 2009|East Africa|align="right"|12,322,920|Unitary presidential republic|Gained independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962. The second country (after Mozambique) to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.||||
||<span style="display:none">1983-09-19</span>19 September 1983|West Indies|align="right"|56,632|Federal Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1979-02-22</span>22 February 1979|West Indies|align="right"|189,000|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1979-10-27</span>27 October 1979|West Indies|align="right"|109,501|Unitary Commonwealth realm|A special member from 27 October 1979 until 1 June 1985.||||
||<span style="display:none">1970-08-28</span>28 August 1970|Oceania (Polynesia)|align="right"|196,954|Unitary Westminster republic|Gained independence from New Zealand on 1 January 1962. Joined as Western Samoa, subsequently changing its name to Samoa on 4 July 1997.||||
||<span style="display:none">1976-06-29</span>29 June 1976|East Africa|align="right"|98,248|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1961-04-27</span>27 April 1961|West Africa|align="right"|6,818,117|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1965-10-15†</span>9 August 1966 (effective from 9 August 1965)|Southeast Asia|align="right"|5,889,117|Unitary Westminster republic|Gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Became independent on 9 August 1965.||||
||<span style="display:none">1978-07-07</span>7 July 1978|Oceania (Melanesia)|align="right"|614,497|Unitary Commonwealth realm|||||
||<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>19 November 1926|Southern Africa|align="right"|56,007,479|Unitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency|Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 31 May 1910. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and Statute of Westminster 1931. Left on 31 May 1961; rejoined 1 June 1994.||||
||<span style="display:none">1948-02-04</span>4 February 1948|South Asia|align="right"|20,979,811|Unitary semi-presidential republic|Joined as the Dominion of Ceylon, subsequently changing its name in 1972.  Became a republic in 1972||||
||<span style="display:none">1961-12-09</span>9 December 1961|East Africa|align="right"|57,790,062|Unitary presidential republic|Joined as Tanganyika and later Zanzibar, which subsequently merged to form Tanzania on 26 April 1964.||||
||<span style="display:none">1970-06-04</span>4 June 1970|Oceania (Polynesia)|align="right"|107,228|Unitary constitutional monarchy|||||
||<span style="display:none">1962-08-31</span>31 August 1962|West Indies|align="right"|1,376,801|Unitary Westminster republic|Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 31 August 1962. Became a republic within the Commonwealth on 1 August, 1976 under the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Constitution Act 1976, passed by the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.||||
||<span style="display:none">1978-10-01</span>1 October 1978|Oceania (Polynesia)|align="right"|10,116|Unitary Commonwealth realm|A special member from 1 October 1978 until 1 September 2000.||||
||<span style="display:none">1962-10-09</span>9 October 1962|East Africa|align="right"|42,288,962|Unitary presidential republic|||||
||<span style="display:none">1931-12-11</span>19 November 1926|Northern Europe|align="right"|65,746,853|Unitary Commonwealth realm|Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Statute of Westminster 1931.||||
||<span style="display:none">1980-07-30</span>30 July 1980|Oceania (Melanesia)|align="right"|279,953|Unitary Westminster republic|Gained independence from joint rule (Condominium) of France and United Kingdom.||||
||<span style="display:none">1964-10-24</span>24 October 1964|Southern Africa|align="right"|17,470,471|Unitary presidential republic|||||

A. Unless otherwise noted, independence was gained from the United Kingdom on the date (shown in column 2) of joining the Commonwealth.

B. Not a member of the Commonwealth Foundation.

C. Though Pakistan celebrates 14 August 1947 as its independence day, independence was officially granted at midnight, 15 August 1947. Therefore, its date of joining the Commonwealth would be 15 August 1947.

D. Geopolitically part of Europe, but geographically part of Asia.

E. Constitutional monarchy that operates under a Westminster system. The monarch is not the British monarch, making it not a Commonwealth realm.

## Former member states

|scope="col"|Country|scope="col" data-sort-type="date"|Joined|scope="col"|Continent|scope="col"|Region|scope="col" data-sort-type="date"|Left|scope="col"|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|19 November 1926|Europe|Northern Europe|18 April 1949|The Partition of Ireland, in 1921, caused its division into the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) and Northern Ireland (which remained in the UK). The Irish Free State was one of the original Dominions at the time of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and the Statute of Westminster 1931. Withdrew after passing the Republic of Ireland Act in 1948, accepted by the United Kingdom in the Ireland Act 1949.||||||||
|18 April 1980|Africa|Eastern Africa|7 December 2003|Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965 was not recognised, but independence as Zimbabwe was recognised on 18 April 1980. Suspended on 19 March 2002. Withdrew voluntarily on 7 December 2003. On 15 May 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa submitted an application to rejoin the Commonwealth.||||||||

## Related pages

- Commonwealth of Nations