How many countries have I visited? A counting method that holds up

What is the quickest way to count?

Start from a fixed list. The United Nations has 193 member states, and two more states, the Holy See and the State of Palestine, hold observer status, which gives 195 (Wikipedia: Member states of the United Nations). Go through the list once and mark each country where you have been outside an airport, or inside one if you decide that counts.

Searches such as how many countries have I visited counter, checklist or tracker all point to the same need: a list you can tick off. A paper list works, a spreadsheet works, and so does a map app. What matters is that the list does not change between counts.

The question hides a second one: how many countries are there to count? Wikipedia's list of sovereign states has 205 entries, made up of 193 UN member states, two UN observer states and ten other states, and it notes that no definition of statehood binds every government (Wikipedia: List of sovereign states). So 195 is a choice, and a defensible one, because anyone can check it against a public UN list.

1. Pick a base list. The UN's 195 is the easiest to defend.
2. Write down every country you remember, then scroll the list to jog the rest.
3. Settle your edge cases (below) before totaling.
4. Count, write down the rule you used, and date it.

Do airport layovers count?

There is no official answer, so choose and stay consistent. Three common positions exist. Strict counters need you to leave the airport. Moderate counters accept a layover if you passed through border control. Loose counters count any landing.

If you often connect through the same hub, the choice can move your total by several countries. Inkpass makes this a switch: with Airport layovers count off, a layover shows on the map but not in the number, and with it on you mark the country as Layover and it counts (counting rules).

If you cannot decide, test your instinct against three questions. Each gives a stricter or looser rule, and you can keep the one that matches how you feel about the trip:

Stamps used to settle this argument on their own. As they disappear (see the history of passport stamps), the border test depends on your memory of the queue, so note the date and the airport while you still remember.

• Time: you spent a night, or a number of hours you set in advance, on the ground.
• Border: you passed immigration and your entry was recorded, with or without a stamp.
• Experience: you left the airport and saw something of the place, even if it was only a meal in the nearest town.

Whatever you pick, a rule written down once beats a total adjusted every time you feel generous.

What about territories, UK nations and countries that no longer exist?

Territories such as Puerto Rico, Greenland or Guam are not UN members. Count them separately if your list is territory-friendly, or fold them into their parent country if it is not. The same goes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are four nations inside one UN member, the United Kingdom.

Countries that no longer exist, such as the USSR or Yugoslavia, are best kept as history. A stamp from a defunct state is a memory worth keeping, but it belongs next to your number rather than inside it. Inkpass shows historic stamps without changing the count.

The UK is the clearest case. Since 1922 it has been made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Wikipedia: Countries of the United Kingdom). A traveler who has seen Edinburgh and Cardiff has added two nations to a nations list and nothing new to the UN list.

For other places, Wikipedia describes a dependent territory as a place without full political independence that remains politically outside the controlling state's integral area (Wikipedia: Dependent territory). A practical test: if a place has its own entry rules, currency or border post, many counters give it a separate line, and otherwise they fold it into the parent.

Which tool should I use to keep the list?

Match the tool to how you travel. A notes file is enough if you add one country a year. A spreadsheet suits people who want dates. A map suits people who like to see the gaps. The searches around this topic, such as countries visited map, app and maker, show that most people want the map version.

If you go for a map, pick one that works offline, shows your rule next to the total, and lets you export your data. The guide to making a countries visited map covers the options in detail.

How do I make the count something I can share?

Add context: your list, your rule and the date. A bare number invites an argument. A number with a rule invites a comparison. Inkpass prints the rule under the total, for example 195 countries with territories counted separately, and its World Card adds the share of the world and the number of continents.

When you send your map to a friend, the overlap link shows what you share, and whose list is longer in each continent. Our guide to comparing travel maps explains what to agree on first.

Three mistakes skew shared numbers more than any rule choice does:

• Switching rules after the fact to reach a round number.
• Counting a place twice, once as a nation and once inside its parent country.
• Leaving the date off, so next year's count has nothing to compare to.

Can I trust my memory?

Less than you think. People forget short stops, childhood trips and countries crossed by train. Three habits help. Scan your photo library for the places the pictures were taken. Check old passports and boarding passes. Ask the person you traveled with.

Inkpass has a Find in photos step that reads the place stored in photos you pick, on your phone, and suggests countries. You keep control: nothing is added unless you confirm it, and the app does not get access to your library.

A short recovery routine takes about half an hour and usually turns up two or three forgotten places:

• Browse your photo library by place, if your photo app offers it.
• Search your email for boarding pass or booking confirmation.
• Scan card statements for charges in foreign currencies.
• Check passports and visas, including old ones.
• Ask your travel companions to check their lists against yours.