Which countries are in UNDP?

10/16/2026

Answers

UNDP does not have a membership system exactly like the United Nations General Assembly. Instead, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) operates in more than 170 countries and territories, supporting governments and communities with development programmes.

This distinction is important when someone asks, "Which countries are in UNDP?"

How many countries does UNDP work in?

UNDP currently works in more than 170 countries and territories.

Its country and regional presence covers:

  • Africa

  • Arab States

  • Asia and the Pacific

  • Europe and Central Asia

  • Latin America and the Caribbean

UNDP describes itself as the UN's lead agency on international development.

Does UNDP have members?

Not in the same sense as WHO, FAO or UNESCO.

UNDP is a UN programme, rather than a specialized agency with a separate membership list comparable to those organizations.

Its activities are governed through an Executive Board made up of representatives of UN Member States. The Executive Board provides intergovernmental support and supervision of UNDP activities.

Which regions does UNDP cover?

UNDP's work is organized into five major regional bureaus:

  1. Africa

  2. Arab States

  3. Asia and the Pacific

  4. Europe and Central Asia

  5. Latin America and the Caribbean

This regional structure allows UNDP to adapt development support to different political, economic, environmental and social contexts.

Examples of countries where UNDP works

UNDP's official country database includes countries such as:

  • Afghanistan

  • Albania

  • Algeria

  • Angola

  • Argentina

  • Armenia

  • Bangladesh

  • Brazil

  • China

  • Colombia

  • Egypt

  • France

  • Germany

  • India

  • Indonesia

  • Kenya

  • Mexico

  • Nigeria

  • Pakistan

  • South Africa

  • Türkiye

  • Ukraine

  • United Kingdom

  • United States

This is only a selection; the official UNDP country directory should be used for the complete and current list.

Does UNDP work in territories?

Yes.

UNDP's official terminology is "countries and territories."

Its country presence database includes territories as well as sovereign states. Consequently, saying that UNDP works in "170 countries" is a convenient shorthand, but the organization's own description is more precisely "about 170 countries and territories."

What does UNDP do in these countries?

UNDP's programmes differ according to local development priorities.

Its work can include:

  • Poverty reduction

  • Governance

  • Rule of law

  • Institutional strengthening

  • Climate action

  • Disaster resilience

  • Crisis recovery

  • Gender equality

  • Digital transformation

  • Sustainable development

UNDP works with national governments, local communities, civil society, international organizations and development partners.

Conclusion

There is no conventional "UNDP membership list" because UNDP is a UN programme rather than a membership-based specialized agency. Instead, UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories across five global regions.

References

UNDP – About Us
UNDP – Regions and Countries
UNDP Jobs

Unchannel - 10/16/2026