Several tallies are circulating regarding the countries that recognise the State of Palestine. Here is a recap of how AFP came to its own count, identifying at least 142 states among the 193 United Nations members.
AFP’s tally includes France, following President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement on Thursday of a “formal” recognition in September at the UN General Assembly.
France is among 10 countries that have announced their decision since the start of the war in Gaza, launched by Israel after Hamas’s October 2023 attack.
In 2024, four Caribbean countries — Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago — did so, as well as five in Europe — Armenia, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain. France followed in 2025.
Until now, the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the UN, which represents the Palestinian Authority, had counted 139 countries as having stated their recognition of the Palestinian state, unilaterally proclaimed in 1988.
That would bring the total to 149 by adding the diplomatic gestures made since 2024.
However, AFP’s verification, based on official announcements and responses obtained by its global network of bureaux, concluded that at least four countries should not have been included in this list.
They are the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and Papua New Guinea.
The Vatican was also included in some counts but the Holy See only has observer status at the UN. It is not a member state.
For three other countries — the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Togo — AFP had not received confirmation as of July 25.
Mexico meanwhile, absent from the list, has stated its recognition.
In 2024, the Mexican foreign ministry said the country had “long supported various actions” which “have the legal effect of recognising Palestine’s status as a state”.
So to recap AFP’s calculation — 139 states before the war, four of which were refuted (bringing the number to 135), three without confirmation (132), minus the Vatican (131), plus Mexico (132), as well as 10 new recognitions (142).
