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Sub-region of Europe · Country Index 2026
Western Europe
How are the countries of Western Europe doing?
Half of Western Europe’s 7 placed countries sit at or above 7th of 174 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 1st of 21 sub-regions. Switzerland is placed highest, 1st; France lowest, 25th. 7 reach the world’s top fifth. 2 more of its 9 countries and territories are not placed.
Monaco
01Who is in it
The countries of Western Europe
Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.
Photo: chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Vienna
- People, 2023
- 9,130,429
- Land, 2024
- 82,520 km²
Country Index6th of 174
Placed highest on Economy & Innovation, 3rd of 150
Photo: Gf uip · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Brussels
- People, 2023
- 11,712,893
- Land, 2024
- 30,494 km²
Country Index23rd of 174
Placed highest on Development & Human Capital, 2nd of 194
Photo: Tobi 87 derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Paris
- People, 2023
- 66,438,822
- Land, 2024
- 538,950 km²
Country Index25th of 174
Placed highest on Gender & Equality, 7th of 178
Photo: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Berlin
- People, 2023
- 84,548,231
- Land, 2024
- 349,430 km²
Country Index7th of 174
Placed highest on Development & Human Capital, 3rd of 194
Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Vaduz
- People, 2023
- 39,598
- Land, 2024
- 160 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 2 of 12 topics
Placed highest on Risk & Resilience, 1st of 191
Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Luxembourg
- People, 2023
- 665,098
- Land, 2024
- 2,574 km²
Country Index11th of 174
Placed highest on Democracy & Civil Liberties, 2nd of 198
Photo: Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Monaco
- People, 2023
- 38,956
- Land, 2024
- 2.084 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 2 of 12 topics
Placed highest on Health & Wellbeing, 2nd of 201
Photo: Traveler100 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Amsterdam
- People, 2023
- 18,092,524
- Land, 2024
- 33,670 km²
Country Indexjoint 2nd of 174
Placed highest on Development & Human Capital, 4th of 194
Photo: Simon Koopmann derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 2.0 de, greyscale
- Capital
- Bern
- People, 2023
- 8,870,561
- Land, 2024
- 39,510 km²
Country Index1st of 174
Placed highest on Economy & Innovation, 2nd of 150
02The region
About Western Europe
France, Germany, the Low Countries and the Alpine states.
Western Europe groups France, Germany, the Low Countries of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and the Alpine states of Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with Monaco on the Mediterranean. It reaches from the Atlantic and the North Sea to the Alps, and the Rhine, one of Europe’s busiest rivers, flows through much of it.
The region lay at the heart of Charlemagne’s empire and, much later, of both world wars. After 1945 France, West Germany and the Benelux countries were among the founders of the organisations that grew into the European Union. French, German, Dutch and Luxembourgish are its main languages.
03Where
Western Europe on the map
Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.
Country Index position: 1st174thMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks
04Country Index 2026
Where Western Europe’s countries place
Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 174, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.
| In region | Country | In the world | 1st174th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Switzerland | 1 / 174between 1st and 3rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 2 |  Netherlands | 2 / 174between 2nd and 7th if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 3 |  Austria | 6 / 174between 3rd and 9th if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 4 |  Germany | 7 / 174between 5th and 9th if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 5 |  Luxembourg | 11 / 174between 7th and 14th if any one key were dropped · standings on 11 of 12 topics | |
| 6 |  Belgium | 23 / 174between 17th and 24th if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 7 |  France | 25 / 174between 24th and 26th if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics |
A further 2 of its countries and territories are not placed: the Country Index 2026 places a country only once it holds a standing on 9 of its 12 voting topics. Liechtenstein and Monaco.
Western Europe among the 21 sub-regions with a median
1st of 21. Nothing is weighted by population or size.
- 1Western Europe7th7 of 9Placed countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 25th.
- 2Northern Europe9th10 of 13Placed countries run from Ireland 2nd to Latvia 27th.
- 3Australia and New Zealand13th2 of 2Placed countries run from New Zealand 13th to Australia 14th.
- 4Eastern Asia18th4 of 8Placed countries run from South Korea 16th to Mongolia 80th.
- 5Northern America20th2 of 4Placed countries run from Canada 20th to United States 33rd.
- 6Southern Europe30th12 of 17Placed countries run from Slovenia 15th to Albania 57th.
- 7Eastern Europe41st10 of 10Placed countries run from Czechia 12th to Russia 85th.
- 8Polynesia64th2 of 7Placed countries run from Samoa 64th to Tonga 87th.
- 9South America74th12 of 12Placed countries run from Uruguay 35th to Venezuela 139th.
- 10Caribbean76th9 of 24Placed countries run from Barbados 55th to Haiti 168th.
- 11Western Asia80th17 of 19Placed countries run from Cyprus 36th to Yemen 172nd.
- 12South-eastern Asia90th11 of 11Placed countries run from Singapore 21st to Myanmar 152nd.
- 13Central America92nd8 of 8Placed countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 132nd.
- 14Central Asia104th5 of 5Placed countries run from Kazakhstan 62nd to Turkmenistan 133rd.
- 15Melanesia108th4 of 5Placed countries run from Fiji 66th to Papua New Guinea 145th.
- 16Southern Asia109th9 of 9Placed countries run from Maldives 50th to Afghanistan 171st.
- 17Southern Africa113th5 of 5Placed countries run from South Africa 94th to Eswatini 138th.
- 18Northern Africa125th6 of 6Placed countries run from Tunisia 105th to Sudan 173rd.
- 19Western Africa141st15 of 16Placed countries run from Ghana 99th to Mauritania 166th.
- 20Eastern Africa142nd15 of 19Placed countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 174th.
- 21Middle Africa150th9 of 9Placed countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 95th to Chad 170th.
- Micronesia—none placed
- Europe, the whole continent26th
- The world’s midpoint87th
1st174thmedianplaced
The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.
05By subject
Topic by topic
Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for Western Europe: Gender & Equality, 1st of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Work & Labour, 4th of 21.
Columns run from the topic where Western Europe places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.
06In numbers
Western Europe in 6 numbers
Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Western Europe’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.
GDP per person
international $, PPP · log scale
World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better
No reading: Liechtenstein, Monaco
Human development
HDI, 0–1
UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better
No reading: Monaco
Unemployment
% of the labour force
ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better
No reading: Liechtenstein, Monaco
Every value for Western Europe’s countries
| Country | Population 2023 | Land area 2024 | GDP per person 2025 | Life expectancy 2023 | Human development 2023 | Unemployment 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 9,130,429rank 99 | 82,520rank 113 | 63,970rank 16 | 81.96rank 33 | 0.93rank 22 | 5.582rank 78 |
| Belgium | 11,712,893rank 81 | 30,494rank 136 | 63,488rank 18 | 82.11rank 31 | 0.951rank 10 | 5.906rank 76 |
| France | 66,438,822rank 23 | 538,950rank 48 | 55,125rank 27 | 83.33rank 15 | 0.92rank 26 | 7.542rank 53 |
| Germany | 84,548,231rank 19 | 349,430rank 64 | 62,824rank 21 | 81.38rank 40 | 0.959rank 5 | 3.711rank 120 |
| Liechtenstein | 39,598rank 208 | 160rank 208 | — | 83.63rank 13 | 0.938rank 17 | — |
| Luxembourg | 665,098rank 168 | 2,574rank 172 | 127,421rank 3 | 82.23rank 29 | 0.922rank 25 | 6.343rank 67 |
| Monaco | 38,956rank 210 | 2.084rank 220 | — | 86.37rank 1 | — | — |
| Netherlands | 18,092,524rank 70 | 33,670rank 134 | 71,378rank 12 | 82.16rank 30 | 0.955rank 8 | 3.874rank 116 |
| Switzerland | 8,870,561rank 101 | 39,510rank 131 | 85,732rank 7 | 83.95rank 8 | 0.97rank 2 | 4.873rank 100 |
07In records
Western Europe in records
The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.
Most populous
84,548,231
people
Largest by land area
538,950
square kilometres
Highest GDP per person
127,421
international $ at purchasing power parity
Longest life expectancy
86.37
years at birth
Highest human development
0.97
on the Human Development Index, 0–1
Perceived as least corrupt
80
on the Corruption Perceptions Index, 0–100
08Latest editions
Who rose and fell in the published ranks
The moves of Western Europe’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Declined most
rank before → after- Luxembourg22 → 25−3
Liechtenstein15 → 17−2- Austria20 → 22−2
Ranks as published by Transparency International in the Corruption Perceptions Index: the 2024 edition (180 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (182 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after- Germany15 → 10+5
- Austria25 → 21+4
- Netherlands9 → 8+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Luxembourg5 → 8−3
- France25 → 27−2
- Switzerland5 → 6−1
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Gender Inequality Index: reference years 2022 (172 countries ranked) → 2023 (172 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Declined most
rank before → after- Luxembourg15 → 17−2
- Switzerland3 → 4−1
Ranks as published by World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index: the 2024 edition (133 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (139 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after- Belgium24 → 21+3
Declined most
rank before → after- Luxembourg20 → 23−3
- Germany9 → 11−2
- Austria17 → 19−2
Ranks as published by Growth Lab at Harvard University in the Economic Complexity Index: reference years 2023 (145 countries ranked) → 2024 (145 ranked), both from its 2026 report.
Improved most
rank before → afterNo country moved this way.
Declined most
rank before → after- Belgium22 → 25−3
- Switzerland3 → 4−1
- Austria10 → 11−1
Ranks as published by Oxford Insights in the Government AI Readiness Index: the 2024 edition (188 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (195 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after- Switzerland30 → 26+4
- Netherlands7 → 4+3
- France4 → 2+2
Declined most
rank before → after- Liechtenstein64 → 98−34
- Belgium20 → 30−10
- Luxembourg27 → 33−6
09In context
Across the border
The countries outside Western Europe that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the sub-regions they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.
Eastern Europe
Northern Europe
South America
Southern Europe
10Places
Landmarks of Western Europe
Two places from each member with a gallery on its profile.
Eiffel Tower
Wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, completed in 1889.
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Mont-Saint-Michel
Tidal island and abbey off the coast of Normandy.
Photo: Diliff · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Neuschwanstein Castle
Nineteenth-century Romanesque Revival palace above the village of Hohenschwangau in Bavaria.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Brandenburg Gate
Neoclassical monument in Berlin, completed in 1791 on the site of a former city gate.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Canals of Amsterdam
Seventeenth-century ring of canals in the centre of Amsterdam.
Photo: Swimmerguy269 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Rijksmuseum
National museum of the Netherlands in Amsterdam, housed in a building opened in 1885.
Photo: Marco Almbauer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Matterhorn
Pyramidal peak of the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy.
Photo: Gianluca Miscione · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Chillon Castle
Medieval island castle on the shore of Lake Geneva near Montreux.
Photo: Zacharie Grossen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
11Keep reading
Explore further
The rest of Europe
Northern Europe
+3Countries: Channel Islands, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom.9th
median of 174 · 10 of 13 placed
Ireland 2nd → Latvia 27th
Eastern Europe
Countries: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine.41st
median of 174 · 10 of 10 placed
Czechia 12th → Russia 85th
Southern Europe
+7Countries: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican City.30th
median of 174 · 12 of 17 placed
Slovenia 15th → Albania 57th
12Method
Questions, method and sources
Which countries are in Western Europe?
9 countries and territories: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands and Switzerland. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification.
Which country in Western Europe is placed highest?
Switzerland, placed 1st of 174 in the Country Index 2026. France is placed lowest, 25th. 7 of the region’s 9 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.
How does Western Europe compare with other regions?
Half of its 7 placed countries sit at or above 7th of 174, which places it 1st of 21 sub-regions. The median across Europe is 26th. The middle of the whole field is 87th. Nothing is weighted by population or size.
How many people live in Western Europe?
199,537,112 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 9 countries and territories.
What is the largest country in Western Europe?
By land area, France: 538,950 square kilometres (2024). By population, Germany: 84,548,231 people (2023).
How a region’s figure is made
- Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
- Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
- The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
- A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.
Where the regions come from
United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.
Where the positions come from
Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.
Photographs
Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Austria — chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belgium — Gf uip, CC BY-SA 3.0
- France — Tobi 87 derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Germany — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
- Liechtenstein — Guido Radig,Inkey, CC BY 3.0
- Luxembourg — Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Monaco — Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Netherlands — Traveler100, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Switzerland — Simon Koopmann derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Western Europe: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/western-europe