Country with the Most Islands 2026

The country with the highest total number of islands is Norway, which tops the chart with more than 320,000 islands. However, fewer than 1% of those islands are populated by humans and many are quite small in size. By comparison, the United States boasts fewer than 19,000 islands, but more than half—approximately 10,000—are inhabited, more than in any other country. On the other end of the spectrum are island countries such as Nauru, Macau, and Australia (though some sources disqualify Australia from islandhood, claiming it is instead a continent), in which the entire country is an island (which may contain additional islands within internal lakes and other bodies of water).

Challenges in Counting the Number of Islands by Country

Determining the number of islands in a given country can be logistically challenging because many countries have different definitions of what constitutes an island. For example, the size of a landmass, whether it is submerged during high tide, whether it is inhabited, and whether it has a name are all make-or-break factors in some countries, but not others.

Because of these inconsistencies, comparisons between various countries’ total number of islands are rarely apples-to-apples comparisons.

That said, some countries appear to have quite a number of islands by any definition.

Norway Island Highlights

The Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Edgeøya, more)

Several of the northermost land masses in the world belong to this island chain, whose largest settlement, Longyearbyen, is an ideal destination for tourists who want to see the northern lights, ride a dog sled, and go on safari to see polar bears in their natural habitats. Longyearbyen is also the home of the Global Seed Vault, also known as the Doomsday Vault, where thousands of seeds are stored in case a natural or man-made catastrophe wipes out existing plant species.

Jan Mayen

One of the world’s most northern volcanoes, this island has no permanent population, but is home to a meteorological station, a small military presence, and many, many birds.

The Lofoten archipelago (Gimsøya, Vestvågøy, Flakstadøya, Moskenesøya, parts of Hinnøya and Austvågøy)

Picturesque is the only way to describe these islands, on which quaint fishing villages nestle along the shores of massive, jagged mountain-islands. Hiking, fishing, whale-watching, and especially sight-seeing are main attractions.

Tromsøya

This popular tourist destination showcases beautiful art created both by man, at the Northern Norway Art Museum, and by nature, in the form of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

United States Island Highlights

Hawaii

The most obvious entry on any “best US islands” list is the 50th state, Hawaii (alternately spelled “Hawai’i”). While the state actually includes some 130 islands, only the main eight are well-known and of those, only seven are inhabited and only six are accessible to tourists. Despite being an island, Hawaii has a larger land area than seven other US states and its largest mountain, Mauna Kea, would be taller than Mount Everest if its base rested at sea level rather than on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

Many Hawaiian islands have their own distinct feel and attractions:

• Maui is the state’s second-largest island and is best known for its beautiful volcanic beaches, lavish oceanfront resorts, and activities for families and adventurers alike, including climbing Mount Haleakala to watch the sunrise, snorkeling, hiking, fine dining, ziplines, luaus, and canoe tours.
• Oʻahu’s attractions include whale watching, snorkeling, Pearl Harbor, billionaire heiress Doris Duke’s “Shangri-La” and its massive collection of Islamic art, and world-class surfing.
• Lānaʻi is calmer and resplendent with natural beauty from beaches to nature preserves.
• Not to be outdone, Kauaʻi is known as the “Garden Isle” for its unmatched greenery—not to mention more beautiful beaches and wonderful stargazing.
• The “Big Island” (Hawaiʻi) balances adventure with beauty via verdant natural parks and volcanoes—including Kilauea, where visitors can witness craters, steam vents, lava tubes, and active lava flows.

Florida Keys (especially Big Pine and the Lower Keys, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, and Marathon)

Like Hawaii, this chain of islands off the United States’ East Coast boasts a vast range of attractions, from unspoiled natural beauty to scuba diving and snorkeling, sportfishing, historic attractions, and of course, beaches galore.

Long Island, New York and Staten Island, New Jersey

Although arguably better known as major components of the most populous city in the United States, both Long Island and Staten Island are also technically an island—in fact, Long Island is the largest island in the contiguous United States. While they lack the lush jungles and diverse aquatic attractions of more tropical islands like Hawaii and the Florida Keys, the islands do include a wealth of parks populated by wildlife including deer, rabbits, oppossums, turtles, newts, frogs, snakes, and hundreds of bird species, including bald eagles.

The islands also include neighborhoods such as Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, whose cultural impact on the US is difficult to overstate. Ironically, the famous Coney Island district is no longer an island, as landfill connected it to the rest of Brooklyn in the 1920s and 1930s.

Sweden Island Highlights

With 221,831 named islands (and an estimated 267,570 total), Sweden has nearly as many islands as Norway. As in Norway, few Swedish islands (just under 1,000) are inhabited. But they still offer highlights for travelers.

Gothland Island

Gothland is the largest island in Sweden, covering close to 2,994 square km of landmass. It has a population of 58,003 people, with 23,600 living in Visby. The island is a province, municipality, diocese, and county of Sweden. It features two smaller islands in the north, including Faro and Gotska Sandon.

Its economy revolves around tourism, food processing, information technology, and design industries that utilize the island workforce.

Visitors to the Gothland island enjoy various water activities, including diving, sailing, kayaking, fishing, etc. They can also enjoy exploring the island via its network of walking trails.

Oland Island

Oland is the second biggest island but the smallest province in Sweden, covering 1,347 square km. It is a permanent residence for approximately 26,000 people. It is based in the Baltic Sea, off the shoreline of Smaland province.

When it comes to administration, Oland is considered part of Kalmar county and is subject to its administration. However, the island features Borgholm and Morbylanga municipalities that offer the locals minor government services.

The main economic activities on the island include farming and fishing. Visitors can enter and leave the island via the three and a half miles Oland bridge.

Orust Island

Orust island comes third, after Oland, covering close to 346 square km. However, the country authorities declared the island the fourth-largest, following the country’s 2014 statistics.

The island is a municipality, with Henan being its largest town and municipal capital. It boasts more than 15,160 inhabitants living in its fishing villages, including Ellos, Halleviksstrand, Strioken, and Svanvik.

The orust municipality contributes significantly to Vastra Gotland from its numerous shipyards, including Hallberg-Rassy and Najad Varvet shipyards.

Hisingen Island

Covering 199 square km, the Hisingen Island is the fifth-largest in Sweden. It homes more than 130,000 inhabitants, making it the most populous island in the country.

Hisingen is a river Island bordering the Gota Alv river to the East and South and Nordre Alv and Kattegat to the North and West.

The island is part of Vastra Gotaland county. It features the Volvo Group Company and the port of Gothenburg, which contribute to the health economy of the island and Vastra Gotaland county in general.

Tjorn Island

With 148 square km, Tjorn is the sixth-largest island in Sweden. It is located in Bohuslan province, on the Swedish west coast. It is home to more than 15,774 people. The neighboring areas to the island include the Stenungsund town to the East and Orust island to the north.

The island is a municipality, with Skarhamn being the largest town and municipal capital. The primary economic activity on the island is fishing. This explains why Tjorn is made up of fishing communities like Kyrkesund, Rönnäng, and Klädesholmen.

The island is also frequented by tourists who come to swim, dive, sail or hike around the island as they enjoy attractions along the Tjorn trails.