9/13/2026
As of 4 February 2026, FAO has 193 Member Nations, plus one Member Organization, the European Union, and two Associate Members. Therefore, when people ask how many countries are FAO members, the clearest answer is 193 countries. FAO itself also commonly describes its membership as 194 members: 193 countries and the European Union.
FAO stands for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations focused on food security, agriculture, nutrition and sustainable food systems.
FAO's central goal is to help build a world in which people have regular access to enough safe and nutritious food to live healthy and active lives.
The official FAO Legal Office provides a precise membership breakdown.
As of 4 February 2026, FAO has:
193 Member Nations
1 Member Organization
2 Associate Members
The Member Organization is the European Union.
This explains why two numbers may appear when researching FAO membership.
If the question specifically asks "How many countries are FAO members?", the answer is 193 countries.
If the question asks "How many members does FAO have?", FAO commonly describes the organization as having 194 members — 193 countries plus the European Union.
The European Union is not a country. It is a regional economic integration organization.
FAO's constitution allows both states and qualifying regional economic integration organizations to become members.
Therefore, the EU has a different membership status from the 193 individual Member Nations.
This distinction is important when comparing FAO membership with United Nations membership. The UN itself has 193 Member States, while FAO's membership structure additionally includes the European Union as a Member Organization.
FAO leads international efforts to combat hunger and improve food security.
Its work includes:
Agriculture
Food security
Nutrition
Fisheries
Forestry
Sustainable food systems
Rural development
Food safety
Agricultural statistics
Climate-resilient agriculture
FAO works with governments and partners in more than 130 countries.
Not necessarily.
Although FAO is a UN specialized agency, its membership is legally separate from membership in the United Nations itself.
A country can therefore have different institutional relationships with different international organizations.
FAO's membership is open to states and qualifying regional economic integration organizations under its constitutional rules.
FAO Member Nations participate in the organization's governance and international decision-making.
Membership allows countries to contribute to discussions concerning food systems, agriculture, rural development, nutrition and food security.
For professionals searching for FAO jobs, understanding FAO's global membership is also useful because FAO operates through headquarters, regional offices, country offices and international programmes.
As of 2026, FAO has 193 Member Nations (countries). It also has one Member Organization, the European Union, and two Associate Members. FAO therefore often summarizes its membership as 194 members: 193 countries plus the EU.
Unchannel - 9/13/2026