Scouting in Other Countries 2026

Scouting is a program that is educational and non-political for boys and girls. The program introduces practices related to the military, camping, sports, and hiking. The programs are socially organized, allowing boys and girls to interact with their peers while learning new skills and information. Most of the scouting ventures are organized and monitored by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. This overseeing body helps manage the program, educational material, and admittance procedures for members of the scouting movement.

How Was Scouting Started?

Scouting most likely originated in the United Kingdom in 1907. A former military officer, Baden-Powell wrote a book titled Scouting for Boys, which illustrated traditional military, camping, hiking, and basic outdoor skills. To test the usefulness of the skills outlined in the book, a camp was organized in London. This camp is largely believed to be the start of the scouting movement. Since the 1907 creation of the book and original camp, scouting has spread throughout the world to almost every country in the world.

How Many Scouting Organizations Exist?

As per the World Organization for the Scout Movement, there can only be one recognized scouting organization per country. The only exception to this rule is that Canada has two organizations, one for the English-speaking members and one for the French-speaking members. Just about every country in the world, with a few notable exceptions, has a scouting program. Although there are several scouting programs globally, only about 30 national scouting programs are official members of the World Organization for the Scout Movement.

Which Countries Have Scouting Programs?

Scouting programs exist in just about every country in the world. The United Kingdom is credited with the oldest and original scouting program, which started in about 1907 following the publication of Scouting for Boys. South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and Malta soon joined the scouting movement the following year with the creation of their own programs. Several European countries, including Greece, Germany, France, and Portugal, created their own scouting programs throughout the 1910s, with the United States creating its own program in 1910. The most recent countries to develop a scouting program include Ukraine, Myanmar, and South Sudan.

Some countries do not currently have a scouting program in place. Countries that do not have a national scouting program include Vatican City, North Korea, Laos, Cuba, China, and Andorra. Although these countries do not have an officially recognized scouting program, several still have active scouting clubs for members to join.