---
title: "Mapped: Which Countries Still Have a Monarchy?"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/ba70c553-5457-41fc-abb5-c7e41774ef73
source_url: "https://www.visualcapitalist.com/which-countries-still-have-monarchy/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/education/stack/33314181-1779-4e70-8e6d-dcd60591d950
summary: "This Visual Capitalist article maps the 43 countries that still have monarchies, categorizing them into four types: constitutional, absolute, federal, and mixed. It provides a country-by-country breakdown of each monarchy's type, head of state, ruling monarch, and head of government."
tags: "monarchy, countries, constitutional-monarchy, absolute-monarchy, geopolitics, visual-capitalist, governance"
key_entities: "Visual Capitalist (organization), Queen Elizabeth II (person), Charles III (person), Constitutional Monarchy (concept), Absolute Monarchy (concept), Federal Monarchy (concept), Mixed Monarchy (concept), United Kingdom (location), Saudi Arabia (location), Malaysia (location), Emmanuel Macron (person), Agnatic Primogeniture (concept), Liechtenstein (location), Japan (location)"
classification: "reference"
content_hash: "sha256:f1c5fab88a7832904e6bfb29a440f644c0c52d3cc91f9915cd2f06f625ae5396"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 4895
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Mapped: Which Countries Still Have a Monarchy?

Can I share this graphic? Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist. When do I need a license? Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options . Interested in this piece? Click here to license this visualization. ▼ Use This Visualization Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email Mapped: Which Countries Still Have a Monarchy? In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the question of monarchy is brought sharply into focus. However, a surprising number of countries have ruling monarchs, and in this visual we break down the kinds of royal leadership across the 43 countries that still have them. Types of Monarchies A monarch in the simplest sense is a country’s king, queen, emir, or sultan, and so on. But before diving in, it’s important to break down the distinctions between the types of monarchies that exist today. Generally, there are four kinds: ① Constitutional Monarchy The monarch divides power with a constitutionally founded government. In this situation, the monarch, while having ceremonial duties and certain responsibilities, does not have any political power. For example, the UK’s monarch must sign all laws to make them official, but has no power to change or reject new laws. Here are some examples of countries with constitutional monarchies: 🇯🇵 Japan 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇩🇰 Denmark ② Absolute Monarchy The monarch has full and absolute political power. They can amend, reject, or create laws, represent the country’s interests abroad, appoint political leaders, and so on. Here are some examples of countries with absolute monarchies: 🇸🇿 Eswatini 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇻🇦 Vatican City ③ Federal Monarchy The monarch serves an overall figurehead of the federation of states which have their own governments, or even monarchies, ruling them. Here are some examples of countries with federal monarchies: 🇦🇪 UAE 🇲🇾 Malaysia Malaysia is a unique form of federal monarchy. Every five years, each state’s royal leaders choose amongst themselves who will be the monarch, or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, of Malaysia and the respective states. Furthermore, the monarchy is also constitutional, allowing a democratically elected body to govern. ④ Mixed Monarchy This is a situation wherein an absolute monarch may divide powers in distinct ways specific to the country. Here are some examples of countries with mixed monarchies: 🇯🇴 Jordan 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇲🇦 Morocco Interestingly, Liechtenstein is the only European monarchy that still practises strict agnatic primogeniture . Under agnatic primogeniture, the degree of kinship is determined by tracing descent from the nearest common ancestor through male ancestors. Kings, Queens, Emperors, and Sultans Around the Globe Now let’s break down the different monarchies country by country: Country Type of Monarchy Title of Head of State Monarch Title of Head of Government 🇦🇩 Andorra Constitutional Co-Princes Joan-Enric Vives, Emmanuel Macron Prime Minister 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇦🇺 Australia Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇧🇭 Bahrain Mixed King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prime Minister 🇧🇪 Belgium Constitutional King Philippe Prime Minister 🇧🇿 Belize Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇧🇹 Bhutan Constitutional King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Prime Minister 🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam Absolute Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan 🇰🇭 Cambodia Constitutional King Norodom Sihamoni Prime Minister 🇨🇦 Canada Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇩🇰 Denmark Constitutional Queen Margrethe II Prime Minister 🇸🇿 Eswatini Absolute King Mswati III Prime Minister 🇬🇩 Grenada Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇯🇲 Jamaica Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇯🇵 Japan Constitutional Emperor Naruhito Prime Minister 🇯🇴 Jordan Mixed King Abdullah II Prime Minister 🇰🇼 Kuwait Mixed Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prime Minister 🇱🇸 Lesotho Constitutional King Letsie III Prime Minister 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein Mixed Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II Prime Minister 🇱🇺 Luxembourg Constitutional Grand Duke Henri Prime Minister 🇲🇾 Malaysia Constitutional & Federal Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah Prime Minister 🇲🇨 Monaco Mixed Sovereign Prince Albert II Minister of State 🇲🇦 Morocco Mixed King Mohammed VI Prime Minister 🇳🇱 Netherlands Constitutional King Willem-Alexander Prime Minister 🇳🇿 New Zealand Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇳🇴 Norway Constitutional King Harald V Prime Minister 🇴🇲 Oman Absolute Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Sultan 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇶🇦 Qatar Mixed Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Prime Minister 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Absolute King Salman Prime Minister 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇪🇸 Spain Constitutional King Felipe VI President of the Government 🇸🇪 Sweden Constitutional King Carl XVI Gustaf Prime Minister 🇹🇭 Thailand Constitutional King Rama X Prime Minister 🇧🇸 The Bahamas Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇹🇴 Tonga Constitutional King Tupou VI Prime Minister 🇹🇻 Tuvalu Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇦🇪 UAE Federal President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Prime Minister 🇬🇧 UK Constitutional King Charles III Prime Minister 🇻🇦 Vatican City Absolute Pope Francis President of the Pontifical Commission Constitutional monarchies are undoubtedly the most popular form of royal leadership in the modern era⁠, making up close to 70% of all monarchies. This situation allows for democratically elected governments to rule the country, while the monarch performs ceremonial duties. Most monarchs are hereditary, inheriting their position by luck of their birth, but interestingly, French president, Emmanuel Macron, technically serves as a Co-Prince of Andorra. Another unique case is the Vatican’s Pope Francis, who has absolute power in the small independent city⁠—he gained his role thanks to an election process known as a papal conclave . The Role of Monarchies One of the most notable and famous ruling monarchies is the United Kingdom’s House of Windsor⁠—also known as Queen Elizabeth II’s family. King Charles III has now ascended to the country’s throne, making him head of state in 15 nations total, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Many see the benefit in having a stable and consistent form of tradition and decorum at the country’s head of state. “The Crown is an integral part of the institution of Parliament. The Queen [now King] plays a constitutional role in opening and dissolving Parliament and approving Bills before they become law.” – British Parliament Japan’s royal family has been a prime example of stability, having reigned in the country for more than 2,600 years under the same hereditary line. Critiques and the Future of Monarchy Some claim, however, that there is no function of monarchy in the modern day, and complaints of monarchies’ immense wealth and power are rampant. For example, according to the Dutch government, King Willem-Alexander’s budget for 2022, funded by the state and thus, taxpayers, comes out to more than €48 million . Beyond tax dollars, with absolute monarchies there is typically a lack of political freedoms and certain rights. Saudi Arabia, for example, has no national elections. Rather its king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, stays in power for life, appoints the cabinet himself, and passes laws by royal decree. The death of Queen Elizabeth, though, may bring about change though for many of the world’s royally-governed. Since Barbados’ removal of her as head of state in 2021, six other Caribbean nations have expressed the desire to do the same, namely: 🇧🇿 Belize 🇧🇸 The Bahamas 🇯🇲 Jamaica 🇬🇩 Grenada 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda 🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis The future of monarchy in the 21st century is certainly not a guarantee. Enjoying the data visualization above? * Subscribe Related Topics: british empire monarchs queen elizabeth monarchies Up Next What is the Cost of Europe’s Energy Crisis? Don't Miss Ranked: The Top 25 Islands to Visit in 2022 You may also like Mapped: Africa in 1914, When 90% of the Continent Was Colonized Politics Ranked: The World’s Most and Least Liked Countries Most established Western democracies are perceived positively on the world stage. There’s one major exception. Published 4 days ago on June 20, 2026 By Gabriel Cohen Ranked: The World’s Most and Least Liked Countries See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app . Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Switzerland and Canada have the world’s highest net perception scores, both at +36. The United States ranks among the five worst-perceived countries, with a score of -16. Israel records the lowest score globally at -24, followed by Afghanistan and North Korea at -19. How a country is viewed abroad can influence everything from tourism and investment to diplomacy and soft power. While countries such as Switzerland, Canada, and Japan enjoy strongly positive global reputations, others face much more negative perceptions. This graphic ranks 65 countries by their average net perception score, calculated by subtracting negative views from positive views. The data comes from the Democracy Perception Index 2026 , which surveyed more than 46,000 respondents across 85 countries. Nice Perceptions of the North Atlantic Switzerland and Canada top the global rankings with net perception scores of +36, followed closely by Japan (+34) and Sweden (+33). Of the top 15 best-perceived countries, over two-thirds are located in Europe. Member countries of the European Union, meanwhile, average out to around +26. This average is brought down substantially by France’s relatively low +11 score, which it shares with the United Kingdom. This data table lists countries based on their net perception globally. Rank Country Average Net Perception Score 1 🇨🇭 Switzerland 36 2 🇨🇦 Canada 36 3 🇯🇵 Japan 34 4 🇸🇪 Sweden 33 5 🇮🇹 Italy 32 6 🇳🇴 Norway 32 7 🇪🇸 Spain 31 8 🇦🇺 Australia 30 9 🇩🇰 Denmark 30 10 🇳🇿 New Zealand 30 11 🇫🇮 Finland 30 12 🇳🇱 Netherlands 29 13 🇮🇪 Ireland 28 14 🇵🇹 Portugal 26 15 🇦🇹 Austria 25 16 🇬🇷 Greece 24 17 🇧🇪 Belgium 24 18 🇸🇬 Singapore 21 19 🇰🇷 South Korea 21 20 🇩🇪 Germany 21 21 🇵🇱 Poland 19 22 🇹🇼 Taiwan 17 23 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 16 24 🇹🇭 Thailand 14 25 🇧🇷 Brazil 14 26 🇲🇾 Malaysia 13 27 🇮🇩 Indonesia 12 28 🇫🇷 France 11 29 🇦🇷 Argentina 11 30 🇬🇧 UK 11 31 🇵🇭 Philippines 9 32 🇪🇬 Egypt 9 33 🇿🇦 South Africa 9 34 🇻🇳 Vietnam 9 35 🇺🇦 Ukraine 9 36 🇹🇷 Turkey 8 37 🇨🇳 China 7 38 🇭🇺 Hungary 7 39 🇲🇦 Morocco 7 40 🇶🇦 Qatar 6 41 🇦🇪 UAE 4 42 🇷🇸 Serbia 4 43 🇰🇪 Kenya 4 44 🇲🇽 Mexico 2 45 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 0 46 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia -1 47 🇮🇳 India -2 48 🇨🇴 Colombia -2 49 🇾🇪 Yemen -3 50 🇧🇩 Bangladesh -3 51 🇱🇧 Lebanon -3 52 🇨🇺 Cuba -3 53 🇳🇬 Nigeria -3 54 🇻🇪 Venezuela -5 55 🇲🇲 Myanmar -5 56 🇧🇾 Belarus -5 57 🇵🇰 Pakistan -9 58 🇸🇾 Syria -10 59 🇷🇺 Russia -11 60 🇮🇶 Iraq -13 61 🇺🇸 USA -16 62 🇮🇷 Iran -17 63 🇦🇫 Afghanistan -19 64 🇰🇵 North Korea -19 65 🇮🇱 Israel -24 The positive global perception of Canada and European countries like Switzerland and Italy (+32) may reflect a mix of factors, including domestic stability, quality of life, diplomatic positioning, and relatively open societies. Positive perceptions also extend to other developed countries beyond the North Atlantic, including Australia and New Zealand (both +30), as well as major Asian economies such as Singapore and South Korea (both +21). The Decline of American Soft Power The United States stands out as a major outlier in the rankings. Despite being the world’s largest economy and one of its most influential countries, it receives a net perception score of -16, placing it among the five lowest-ranked nations in the survey. While the global view of the U.S. has always been complex, shaped by immigration, culture, and foreign policy, it has deteriorated notably over the last decade. Under the Donald Trump administrations (2017-2021, 2025-present), surveys have consistently reflected a worsening of global public opinion of, and trust in, the United States. As of 2026, the U.S. does not find itself in the company of peers like Germany, Japan, or even the United Kingdom. Instead, it ranks near countries such as Iran (-17) and Iraq (-13), both of which have long-standing geopolitical tensions with the U.S. The Worst-Perceived Countries Worldwide The U.S. is not alone in netting a negative perception score. India (-2) and Pakistan (-9) both received more negative responses than positive, as did Nigeria (-3), Russia (-11), and Saudi Arabia (-1). No country fares worse than Israel, which has a -24 net perception score. Controversy around the country has grown in recent years owing to its conflicts in Gaza as well as Lebanon, Syria, and most notably Iran. As a result, Israel records the lowest net perception score in the survey. It ranks below every other country evaluated, including Afghanistan and North Korea (both -19), underscoring how sharply global opinion has shifted in recent years. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: The World’s Countries by Political System on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist. Continue Reading War Ranked: Military Spending Growth by Country in 2025 With wars on multiple continents, countries are boosting their defense spending, led by European nations like Spain and Germany. Published 5 days ago on June 19, 2026 By Gabriel Cohen Ranked: Military Spending Growth by Country in 2025 See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app . Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Spain and Norway increased military spending by roughly 50% in 2025, the fastest growth among the world’s top defense spenders. Europe dominates the rankings as NATO members accelerate rearmament following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The U.S., UK, and Israel were the only top-25 military spenders to reduce defense spending in 2025. Europe’s military buildup accelerated sharply in 2025. Among the world’s 25 largest defense spenders, Spain and Norway led annual spending growth with increases of roughly 50%, while Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Canada also posted gains exceeding 20%. This graphic ranks the world’s largest military spenders by the real year-over-year change in defense expenditure between 2024 and 2025, using data from the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database . Soaring Defense Budgets in Europe European countries saw the biggest jumps in defense spending between 2024 and 2025, reflecting the continent’s growing concerns over external pressure. Spain (49.6%) and Norway (49%) led the way in year-over-year change, followed by Sweden (24.1%), Germany (23.9%), and Poland (23.4%). These defense spending increases stem from two key factors: Russian aggression in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, and growing U.S. pressure on NATO allies to raise spending. The following data table ranks countries based on defense spending changes in 2025 in real terms, along with most recent total military budget in current U.S. dollars. Rank Country 2025 Military Spending ($B, nominal) YoY real change (%) 1 🇪🇸 Spain 40 49.6 2 🇳🇴 Norway 17 49.0 3 🇸🇪 Sweden 16 24.1 4 🇩🇪 Germany 114 23.9 5 🇵🇱 Poland 47 23.4 6 🇨🇦 Canada 37 22.6 7 🇮🇹 Italy 48 20.1 8 🇺🇦 Ukraine 84 19.7 9 🇳🇱 Netherlands 29 14.5 10 🇹🇼 Taiwan 18 13.8 11 🇧🇷 Brazil 24 12.8 12 🇩🇿 Algeria 25 10.6 13 🇸🇬 Singapore 17 10.3 14 🇯🇵 Japan 62 9.7 15 🇮🇳 India 92 8.9 16 🇨🇳 China 336 7.4 17 🇹🇷 Türkiye 30 7.2 18 🇷🇺 Russia 190 5.9 19 🇦🇺 Australia 35 3.0 20 🇰🇷 South Korea 48 2.6 21 🇫🇷 France 68 1.5 22 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 83 1.4 23 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 89 -2.0 24 🇮🇱 Israel 48 -4.9 25 🇺🇸 USA 954 -7.5 As the heavyweight within NATO, the U.S. has long called for European members of the alliance to boost their defense spending, particularly under the administrations of Donald Trump (2017–2021, 2025–present). Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 further spurred increases in defense spending. While Spain and Norway posted the largest percentage increases, Germany may be the most consequential story. Europe’s largest economy has raised defense spending to over $100 billion , seeking to narrow the gap with Moscow. Russia’s own military spending jumped 5.9%. Europe’s Rearmament Dilemma One question facing German and European policymakers as they seek to build world-class militaries of their own is procurement. Historically, European NATO members and countries like Canada, which boosted defense spending by 22.6% in 2025, purchased their top-shelf arms from U.S. defense manufacturers like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. However, as U.S. pressure on these countries has mounted, there have been growing domestic calls to buy from more local contractors such as Leonardo, Rheinmetall, and Thales. Leaders from Lisbon to Helsinki face decisions on whether to prioritize building up European defense technology capabilities or continue making the investments that have historically underpinned the transatlantic relationship. Why Did the U.S., UK, and Israel Cut Spending? Only three of the world’s 25 largest military spenders recorded lower defense spending in 2025: the U.S., the UK, and Israel. Their declines stand out because military budgets increased across most major economies, particularly in Europe. Wartime can quickly change spending trajectories, as seen in Ukraine, where defense spending jumped 19.7% in 2025. The Eastern European country now spends more on defense than any other European country besides Germany and Russia. The massive U.S. defense budget, meanwhile, is famously larger than that of the next seven military spenders: China, Russia, Germany, India, the UK, and Ukraine. In 2026, the budget is expected to top $1 trillion . 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