Which country has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
Quick answer
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country, with 62 as of 2026, according to Guinness World Records. China is a close second, and Germany, France, Spain, India and Mexico follow. Italy’s list includes Rome’s historic center, Venice, Pompeii, the Dolomites and the Amalfi Coast.
The leaders
Italy and China have swapped places at the top several times as new sites are added each year at the World Heritage Committee meeting. Counts change every summer, so check UNESCO’s official list for the latest numbers.
| Rank | Country | Famous examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | Rome, Venice, Florence, Pompeii, the Dolomites |
| 2 | China | Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army |
| 3–7 | Germany, France, Spain, India, Mexico | Cologne Cathedral, Mont-Saint-Michel, Alhambra, Taj Mahal, Chichén Itzá |
Why Italy has so many
Italy sits at the crossroads of the Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Renaissance worlds. Many of its cities have survived largely intact, and the country has invested heavily in preparing nominations. Recent additions include the prehistoric Domus de Janas tombs of Sardinia.
Two of Italy’s sites are featured on this site: Pompeii and Florence’s Ponte Vecchio.
Three kinds of sites
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Cultural | The Parthenon, Machu Picchu |
| Natural | Great Barrier Reef, Galápagos Islands |
| Mixed | Uluru-Kata Tjuta |
How a place gets listed
- A country adds the site to its Tentative List.
- It prepares a detailed nomination.
- Expert bodies, ICOMOS for cultural sites and IUCN for natural ones, evaluate it.
- The World Heritage Committee votes at its annual session.
A site must show “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of ten criteria. Sites in danger can be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, and in rare cases removed.
The World Heritage Convention
UNESCO adopted the convention in 1972, inspired partly by the rescue of Egypt’s Abu Simbel temples, which were moved to save them from the waters of the Aswan High Dam. The first 12 sites were listed in 1978, including the Galápagos Islands. Today there are well over 1,200 sites in about 170 countries.
Sources
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