EU countries list 2026: all 27 member states
As of 2026 the European Union has 27 member states, home to about 450 million people, after the United Kingdom's exit in 2020; this guide lists every country with its capital, population, accession year and euro status.
The context
Why “Europe’s countries list” is trending
Searches for a complete list of EU countries spike whenever eurozone or enlargement news breaks, and Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro on 1 January 2026 has renewed interest in exactly which nations belong to the European Union and which currency they use. With around 22,200 monthly searches for “Europe’s countries list,” people are looking for a single, current answer: 27 member states, roughly 450 million people, and a currency map that keeps shifting as countries meet the eurozone’s economic criteria.
The EU traces back to six founding members under the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which took effect in 1958: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The bloc’s largest single expansion came in 2004, when ten countries joined at once, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe. Croatia’s entry in 2013 remains the most recent addition. The United Kingdom’s departure, completed in 2020, brought the total down from 28 to today’s 27.
Here is the full list, with capital cities, approximate population and the year each country joined:
| Country | Capital | Population | Joined EU | Euro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Vienna | about 9.2M | 1995 | yes |
| Belgium | Brussels | about 12M | 1958 (founding member) | yes |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | about 6.4M | 2007 | yes (since 1 January 2026) |
| Croatia | Zagreb | about 3.8M | 2013 | yes (since 2023) |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | about 1M | 2004 | yes |
| Czechia | Prague | about 10.9M | 2004 | no (koruna) |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | about 6M | 1973 | no (krone, formal opt-out) |
| Estonia | Tallinn | about 1.4M | 2004 | yes |
| Finland | Helsinki | about 5.6M | 1995 | yes |
| France | Paris | about 68M | 1958 (founding member) | yes |
| Germany | Berlin | about 84M | 1958 (founding member) | yes |
| Greece | Athens | about 10.4M | 1981 | yes |
| Hungary | Budapest | about 9.6M | 2004 | no (forint) |
| Ireland | Dublin | about 5.4M | 1973 | yes |
| Italy | Rome | about 59M | 1958 (founding member) | yes |
| Latvia | Riga | about 1.9M | 2004 | yes |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | about 2.9M | 2004 | yes |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg City | about 0.7M | 1958 (founding member) | yes |
| Malta | Valletta | about 0.6M | 2004 | yes |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | about 18M | 1958 (founding member) | yes |
| Poland | Warsaw | about 37M | 2004 | no (zloty) |
| Portugal | Lisbon | about 10.6M | 1986 | yes |
| Romania | Bucharest | about 19M | 2007 | no (leu) |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | about 5.4M | 2004 | yes |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | about 2.1M | 2004 | yes |
| Spain | Madrid | about 48.6M | 1986 | yes |
| Sweden | Stockholm | about 10.5M | 1995 | no (krona) |
As of 2026, 21 of the 27 member states use the euro, following Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone. The remaining six (Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden) keep their own national currencies, whether by choice, opt-out, or because they have not yet met the eurozone’s convergence criteria. Beyond the bloc’s borders, several European countries remain outside the EU altogether, including Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Serbia and Albania, while Ukraine, Moldova and Turkey hold varying stages of candidate status for future membership.
Beyond the EU: the Schengen area countries list and all 195 countries of the world.
One step wider than the EU: the 30 EEA countries, which add Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to the single market.